Sun, the Moon and Stars
by An Artists Account
Summary: Here I am, sweating out my guts trying to pass my NEWTs, trying to stop Lily blowing up James every 5 minutes oh & I can breathe underwater. But trying to keep a secret isn't so easy when that Sirius Black is always around.
1. jewels, heads and round 1

**Hey, I don't know if this is any goods please review it and tell me what you think. Should I carry on with it or resign it to the scrapheap?**

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**Thanks**

Hey, my name is Artemis, Artemis Isabella Di Angelo. But you can call me Arty. I'm a 17 year old girl and, oh yeah,

I'm a witch.

For all you who don't know (and I'm guessing unless you're an undercover wizard working in the postal service or something you don't) I'm in my final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, best mates with the prettiest girl in the school who happens to hate to 2nd best looking guy in the school, and am a Gryffindor.

I'm also a Aquainfantia but you don't need to know that.

What's an Aquainfantia? I hear you ask. Well, it's what you get if you cross a metamorphmagus with a rabid fire demon.

Only joking.

About the fire demon bit anyway. My mum is a metamorphmagus though. And my dad? Well, I don't know much about my dad. I never met him. Not long before I was born he died. I don't know why. I don't know how. I'm not sure I want to know.

All I know about him is that he managed to ingrain his DNA with gillyweed. (I didn't actually know this was possible but he did experiment I think before getting it right. The only thing mum ever told me about him was the time he tried it and turned into a goldfish for 6 months.) Then I came along and got part of his DNA. The fish part.

Not the creepy flippers of webbed fingers or anything but I always feel at home in the water. And I guess it helps I can breathe underneath it too. There's lots of odd things though. Like I can go thousands of feet down without getting so much as a headache when the pressure should have crushed me long ago. And I can talk to fish.

Aquainfantia. Literally Water child.

I think I'm probably freaking everyone out now so I'll move on to my physical appearance.

I'm not pretty, heavens no, Lily gets all the prizes for that. With her long fiery hair and emerald eyes she looks like a fire goddess. Something I sure James Potter would agree with me on.

I have long brown hair that curls slightly and almost reaches my waist even when its, as it almost always is, tied back into a high ponytail. My eyes are brown too, and I personally think they are way too big for my face. I'm also really pale which makes them stand out even more. I'm really tall, what kind people call willowy and mean people (namely Sirius Black) call Beanpole

I guess I'm okay looking in a...Pointy kind of way.

My waist is almost nonexistent and you could wrap your fingers around my arms with room to spare. I'm skinny but can eat like nobody's business if I want to without putting on a pound though normally I live of caffeine and fruit. I'm veggie you see.

Small blessings.

Lily on the other hand is curvy and slim and has the figure to die for. I won't say I don't sometimes get a little bit jealous cos that would be a whopping great lie, but it is sometimes hard not to feel a little overshadowed when your best mate has everything, looks, brains, the 2nd best looking guy in the school chasing her (not that I envy her that) and a bitchy sister at home who thinks she's a freak.

Okay I'm not jealous.

At this moment in time however I am standing on Platform 9 and 3/4 desperately trying to restrain the said person in question from drawing her wand and hexing a rather (in my opinion though I'd never let on to Lily) unfortunate James Potter from here to Hogsmede.

James has always had this thing for Lily. Right from first year when she had been on her hands and knees picking up all the text books some 6th year Slytherin had made her drop. He had made a comment about how much he liked her legs (Damn uniform code means all us girls have to suffer the torment of skirts) Lily, furiously blushing, had hexed him so badly he was in the hospital wing for a week.

He's been in love with her ever since.

"How DARE McGonagall make you head boy!" She was almost screaming.

"Come on Lily, he's not worth it." I muttered, trying to drag her towards the train without a huge amount of success.

"Not worth it eh? Hear that Prongs, you're not _Worth it._" Came an oh so familiar voice and I looked up to see none other than Mr. Sirius Black strolling towards us, his hands deep in his pockets.

"What you doing to Evans, Twinkle? I thought you realised she was practically Prong's property by now."

I let go of Lily who drew her wand so fast I could almost see steam rising from it.. I was maybe a second behind her.

Potter and Black, it has so be said, weren't looking so cocky now. Potter wouldn't take Lily on without at least 3 mates behind him. He's been in the hospital wing because of her so often I'm surprised he doesn't take out a personal ward there.

Thankfully then Remus turned up. Easily the most thoughtful of the self named Marauders, he was the one I got on with best. His light easy manner defused the situation, fortunately for us as Professor McGonagall was looking our way. She knows how much James baits her but even she wouldn't have turned a blind eye if Lily had landed him in the hospital wing on the very first day of school. And Lily Head Girl and all.

I loaded Lily, Myself, our trunks, and Lily's extra box of books onto the train, then ran back over to my mum to give her a final hug goodbye before re-boarding the Hogwarts Express and waving furiously out of the window.

I noticed with a pang for Lily that Petunia hadn't come to see her off.

The compartment door slid open and the rest of the girls trooped in. Alice, Jazz, Max and Lizzie. All 7th year Gryffindor's and the sole occupiers of the dormitory Lily and I share. They were also our best mates. We fell into easy banter, discussing our holidays, places we'd been, people we'd met. I smiled and let my mind wonder.

Perhaps I ought to say something about Sirius Black, I think you're probably wondering what could have been so terrible to provoke a reaction similar to Lily's on the platform.

I have 2 words for you.

Sex God.

You know how I said Potter was the 2nd best looking guy in school? Well Sirius leaves him behind, like way behind.

And he knows it.

That's was really gets up my nose. He treats girls like baggage, snogging one or a couple of days before dropping her and moving onto his next victim.

He and I…Well it's sorta complicated. I mean I do like him, just a little bit, but ever since I broke his nose in 3rd year when he cornered me behind the herbology greenhouses and tried to kiss me I've hexed him whenever he comes near me now. A similar reaction, as Jazz always points out, as Lily does to Potter.

Not that that means anything.

The compartment door slid open, yanking me sharply back to reality.

"Hey girls. Fancy some decent company?" Black and Potter were leaning against the doorframe smirking at us. I grabbed my wand which for some strange reason I always keep in the waistband of my skirt, and stood. I didn't even notice all the other girls following my example, I was that focused on my adversary. That was however until all their stunning spells merged with my own to hit them squarely in the face. They flew in graceful arcs across the corridor and smashed into the compartment opposite, out for the count.

Lizzie ran to the door, "Holy Crap! Minnie's coming!"

Lily turned pale. She was Head Girl after all and this wasn't going to look good on her track record.

I raced into the corridor and grabbed Black under his arms and, with much groaning and muttered swearing, managed to heave him onto a seat in our compartment. After a second of hesitation and complete bamboozlement, in which Lizzie hopped from foot to foot like he need the loo and squeaked, the others grabbed Potter. Once inside I yanked down the blind and slammed the door.

Lily, Jazz and Max were straining to stuff James into the luggage rack above their heads.

"Hurry up!" Lizzie squeaked from the door were she was peeping through the blind. "10 feet and she looks mad!"

Lily grabbed a set of robes out of her trunk and threw them over Potter then shoved her trunk back in front of him

"What about Black?" Jazz hissed frantically. Black was slumped in a corner seat, looking for all the world like he was asleep. Asleep surrounded by his arch enemies.

"She's Outside!" Lizzie turned back to us almost hyperventilating until Max slapped her sharply across the face. She sighed gratefully (She has almost started hyperventilating so often in our 6 years of school we know exactly what to do now) and sat down opposite Black and started flicking through a copy of today's Daily Prophet.

I could see Minnie's shadow through the blind.

MERLINS Y-FRONTS! I did the only thing I could think of. I stuck my wand back into my waistband and dived under Blacks arm. Placing me head on his chest was no easy thing, I can't help he's so good looking that being that close to him makes me want to be anywhere else in the world. Preferably underwater.

I hoped we looked like a sleeping couple, though if the horrified looks the others were giving me was anything to go by I thought Minnie would probably think I'd lost my sanity. Well I've got news for you Minnie, you can't lose what you never had. Through my half closed eyes I saw Minnie enter and smile around at the collected girls, chatting, reading…And sleeping in the arms of her sworn enemy. I need medication. HELP let me out.

She gave a sort of grimace at Lily, who was looking very studious over by the window, reading a copy of The Standard Book of Spells Grade 7 and ran for it.

I waited for her hurrying footsteps to fade before I risked raising my head. 5 pairs of stunned eyes stared, glared, and in Jazz's case looked downright terrified, back at me.

"Explain!" Snapped Lily, like she thought I'd actually enjoyed being that close to Black. Well I had, but I wasn't about to tell Lily that.

"I wasn't about to let Minnie put us all on cleaning duty for a month with Filch. Better thought insane than that." I climbed out of my warm position rather reluctantly. I thought for a second that his arm tightened around my waist but I must of imagined it.

"So what do we do with them now?" Alice asked, nervously, as if I might jump on Black or something.

I rolled my eyes. I do that a lot.

"Knew you couldn't get enough of me Twinkle!"

I whirled round so fast my ponytail did that swish thing that all the blond bimbos seem to be able to pull of, reaching for my wand.

"Looking for this Twinkle?" he was twirling a long piece of cherry wood at me, wearing that smirk that I hated so much.

(That's another thing I hate about Black, my nickname. Everyone else calls me Arty even most of the teachers, but Black insists on calling me TWINKLE after the star formation of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. And of maidens, don't forget that bit. Artemis swore to give up me forever and when you're immortal forever is a long time. Black thinks I can't hold down a boyfriend because I forsworn them for ever or some such crap.)

"Why YOU…YOU-" I couldn't even think of anything to say. Normally I'm the queen of sarcastic comebacks but whenever Black's around I trip over my tongue. Instead I launched myself at him, punching every inch of his smug face as I could. Least that was the plan, but he caught my hands before I could inflicted any damage (GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR) and held me at arms length (I guess you have to give it to him, he has great reflexes- all that quidditch you know) I knew he was smirking. But while he had hold of my arms he couldn't control my legs and one of my wild kicks went…Rather lower than intended. Not that I cared.

Suffice to say, he dropped me like a hot potato.

And the sight of Sirius Black rolling round on the floor moaning and clutching his family jewels really made my day.

Ker Ching. Round 1 to Arty

There was a moan from the luggage rack. Potter had obviously woken up too. What happened next was so improbable you probably won't believe me but I swear it's true.

Potter rolled off the edge of the rack and lost his balance. Arms flailing, he rolled straight off the rack and onto the floor next to Black who was still moaning and clutching.

Potter just lay there looking dopily up at Lily like she was an angel. But as he had fallen one of his flailing arms had caught Lily's book box (for all the books that didn't fit into her trunk.) We all watched it rock backwards and forwards as though mesmerized. Then, almost in slow motion, it began to fall.

Straight onto Potter's You Know What.

His face went white.

So now we had the 2 best looking guys in the entire school of Hogwarts moaning and clutching their jewels.

And you know what?

It was beautiful.


	2. fights, fireworks and lots of fun

**I don't know if this is actually funny. My sense of humour is quite different to most of my friends. Are the chapters too long, too vague? Please let me know.**

**And can you work out who the title is referring too. Each of the main characters are part of the title.**

**Apart from Peter who deserves to be boiled alive in mouldy cheese for betraying Lily and James.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

****

I'd managed to keep Lily away from Potter for most of the rest of the journey to Hogwarts.( There had been one rather nasty incident where he had made her trunk fall of the rack and all her underwear fell out. I wonder if Remus had managed to get all the tentacles of Potter's face yet? I sincerely hope not but I guess a curse isn't what it used to be.) They had run out pretty sharpish after the whole knee and book box incident. (Can you call something that painful an incident? Okay maybe catastrophe is a better way of putting it.) Gone to lick their wounds in their own compartment. I could just imagine what the other Marauders would say.

Peter would puff and pant and generally look outraged at it all.

Remus, on the other hand, would raise a sceptical eyebrow and remark that they deserved it.

Black and Potter would then attempt not to speak to them but would crack and start discussing their annual fireworks display. This had started way back in 1st year at the opening feast when Potter had been showing Black his mega sized, un-emptiable, really expensive box of Dr Fillibuster's no heat, wet start fireworks (they've been around forever) and a Slytherin (in the hopes of getting a _poor ickle first_y in trouble on their very first night) had ignited it with a jinx from the other end of the hall. However his plan had sort of back fired when the most spectacular fireworks display in the history (and I mean history) of Hogwarts had been produced. Instead of, as hoped, Dumbledore putting them in detention he had awarded them 50 points apiece and made it an annual tradition.

They've done it every year since.

The food, as always, was delicious, the fireworks, as always, were spectacular (finally forming in a giant H entwined with all the houses animals and the motto, 'Never tickle A Sleeping Dragon' twisting underneath), and Dumbledore's speech short and to the point.

"Tuck in."

Feeling pleasantly stuffed I watched Hagrid become slowly redder and redder. Then Dumbledore stood up again and the general hubbub subsided.

The usual really...

"First year's please note that the forbidden forest is out of bounds. Some of our older students would do well to remember this too." He waved at the Marauders who grinned and took a bow.

"Mister Filch would like me to remind you no magic is to be used in the corridors. I think that's all, ah yes."

"Welcome Back."

I grinned and joined in the applause before standing up and joining Jazz and Max to walk back to the common room.

'Thestrals'

I clambered inside the portrait hole and at the sight of the Marauders playing exploding snap by the fire began climbing the staircase to the girl's dorm.

My bed was by the window. Like numbers on a clock face the bed's were arranged in a circle. Jazz and Max were engaged in a loud and potentially dangerous pillow fight (they kept accidentally throwing pillows at each other and missing but hitting each other's wands which erupted in purple flames. Lily had to keep shooting jets of water at the flaming patches from behind her book.)

Alice was setting out all her photo's of Frank on her bed side cabinet. Lizzie had her guitar out and was tuning it while humming the latest hit by Blood Breathing Bat - she is their biggest fan ever.

If you're not particularly interested in hearing about the girls click onto the next chapter now.

Otherwise KEEP READING!

Okay, well you already know about me and Lily so I'll start with Alice.

Alice is a round faced pure blood with long floaty blond hair and a wide smile. She is currently dating a Mr Frank Longbottom, who is totally infatuated with her, as she has done for the last 3 years now.

Everyone's betting on how long it is before they get married. I've got 20 galleons on less than 2 years.

She's this incredible person, amazing at herbology and has every intention of doing the same as most of us Gryffindor 7th years which is joining the Order of the Phoenix as soon as we leave school. She's one of those rare and special people who could see good in everyone, long after many people (including me I'm sorry to say) have resigned them to the social scrap heap.

Lizzie is this timid little mouse with shoulder length chestnut curls and big blue eyes. If she had her way she would happily go through life completely invisible. She is really smart (not Lily smart but still way above average) but she had 2 specialities.

1. The ability to be invisible.

Not really invisible of course, amazing as that would be, but she can blend into whatever surroundings she wants to without being seen. She learns a lot of interesting things that way. And…

2. Music.

You know how I said she was quiet and shy. Well hand her a guitar and all that falls away. She sings like an angel and has played guitar since she was old enough to hold one. Her first words at the age of 18 months had been 'pway musie' and she hadn't seen fit to change her priorities since.

Max, on the other hand, is a complete opposite. Best friends with Jazz, she has to be the centre of attention. She has hazel eyes and brown hair with sun blond streaks which is always in hundreds of tiny braids held back with a bright scarlet bandanna. She doesn't give a damn about how she dresses and is a beater on the Gryffindor quidditch team. She always said that the only reason she ever made the team was thanks to the Slytherins. Way back in 3rd year a Slytherin had been tormenting a defenceless little 1st year Hufflepuff after beating them at a game. Max had snatched Black's beaters bat (he had made the team the year before) and hit a bludger at him so hard she'd smashed in his face and the Matron had had to turn his skull inside out to hammer out all the dents. Minnie had put her in detention for a month and had signed her up for quidditch practise 3 times a week.

We've not lost a match since.

She was a half blood but her witch mother had died in an Order mission a few years back. Now she lived with her dad and his new wife. She had two older brothers, Nick and Jeff who had already left Hogwarts and were in the order but she now also had 3 younger steps – Ariel, Krystal and Zach. Her half brother was born this summer, P.J. who is the cutest baby ever. So you can see she comes from a massive family. I think she comes back to Hogwarts for a rest.

Jazz is the youngest of 3 sisters, Amber and Gina who have also left Hogwarts. Beautiful, pure blood, Indian and can break a breezeblock with her forehead. Don't be fooled by her slim figure and dreamy eyes. She can kick box like nobody's business. Her family owns an ice cream parlour and bakery in Diagon Alley so she always is being sent hundreds of food parcels; her mum is an incredible cook. She tends to wear short skirts and about a gazillion bangles which clink and jangle every time she moves. Her curly black hair has gold streaks in it and she would feel practically naked without her make up on. She also never wears socks in her pumps no matter how cold it is so you can always see her hundreds of gold anklets.

I yanked my wand out of my waist band and tapped my trunk which began to unpack itself and my sketch pad zoomed to my hand. I always draw even though it's a muggle thing. Wizards enjoy fine art as much as they do. (Not that my arts that fine) I closed my eyes and let my fingers guide the charcoal across the page. I often draw like this more by feel than by sight. I opened my eyes and glanced down.

Sirius Black was looking back at me but for maybe the first time in history (Well, 2 months) he looked confused, almost like two people.

A wayward pillow hit my hand, snapping my charcoal in two, (they were going to pay for that, no-one got to break my charcoal except me. Which I do quite a lot actually so maybe I'm a little harsh but...Nah I'm gonna get them) and forcing me to draw a line straight down the centre of Black's smug face.

The 2 halves were obviously the same person but it was like two separate personalities. One half was smirking, that wild glint in his eye that meant he'd just dropped a firecracker down your pants. But the other half, dare I say it, looked...Sombre? And serious. Serious I don't think he even know how to look serious.

Could Sirius Black be serious? Siriusly (Sorry bad joke.) I slammed the pad shut and grabbed my pillow before turning towards Max.

"Okay. This is WAR!"


	3. coffee, charcoal and round 2 to me

**Just a short chapter. Can you guess who I've styled Arty on yet?**

**Please review!**

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The worst bit about the first morning is the getting up. I'm quite an early riser anyway (I like to go swimming in our garden pond back home before, would you know - Gringylows are such gossips)but even I have a habit of falling asleep in 1st lesson. (It is History of Magic though so everyone apart from Remus and Lily falls asleep in that so I guess I'm off the hook) I glanced down at my timetable and groaned. Monday - Double History of Magic, Double Transfiguration, Double Potions with the Slytherins.

Why did I bother getting up this morning?

I poured myself a large mug of coffee and inhaled about half of it before taking a pure red apple from a nearby fruit bowl. I rolled it between my fingers admiring it's colour.

I didn't even notice my bag was open when I left the Great Hall for lessons.

In History of Magic there are 3 things I always do History of Magic class.

1. Set up my quick, quotes quill. Yes I do have one and it takes notes for my so I don't have to listen

2. Draw about whatever bloody goblin battle Binns is going on about at the time.

3. Catch up on my beauty sleep. The one I like the best.

My quill sprang to attention and began scribbling furiously and I shoved my hand into my bag and rummaged around. That was funny, where was my sketchpad? I must have left it in the dorm in the rush this morning.

Yeah, that was it.

Apart from I never forget my pad. School work, text books yep.

But not my drawing book.

As surreptitiously glanced around. It was the usual, passing notes, whispering, snoring. That was the most common.

Sleep was calling me so I put the matter out of my mind and closed my eyes.

mmmmmmmmmm Sleep at last.

I worried about it for most of the rest of the day. When I got back to the common room (HURRAH! No homework!) I was greeted by the familiar sight of Lily screaming at Potter. Black was sitting in one of the comfortable chairs by the fire flicking through something.

That was odd. I don't think I've ever seen Black actually reading. I didn't know he even knew _how_ to read.

Well, miracles do happen I guess.

Remus is the brains behind the operation. That, and Black's natural genius.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST THOUGHT THAT!

I need therapy. Years of being submitted to Marauder brainwashing techniques have finally melted my BRAIN! I mentally slapped myself. I am defiantly going mental.

As though sensing my glance Black looked up at me and smirked.

"Hey Perfect. I saw your face and was lost in thoughts about your beautiful face."

I stormed over and stabbed my finger into his chest. (He had stood up.) I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind but-

"Love the drawings by the way. Specially this one." He held up MY sketchpad. MY charcoal sketch of Max and Black flying at the last match of the year. whacking bludgers like there was no tomorrow.

I'd been so please with it when I'd finished it. It seemed to radiate Power.

"Quidditch!" I spat, "That's all you boy's ever think about!"

His smirk was growing even wider.

"Yeah well, when you're flying the sky's the limit."

"Don't you dare tell me the sky's the limit when there are footsteps on the moon!" I shot back.

"Yeah well considering Neil Armstrong was a wizard that sort of kills it."

Every eye in the common room was on us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw money changing hands.

Damn Black.

"You know it takes 42 muscles to frown. You'll ruin your complexion."

"Yeah, but it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and break their nose." And I followed up the threat.

Unfortunately for me, he caught my fist. Unfortunately for him, I kneed him in the groin.

His face went white and he collapsed.

I grabbed my sketchpad and looked down at him rolling on the floor.

"The only reason _YOU _ got lost in thought is because it's _unfamiliar territory!_"

I sashayed across to the girls staircase putting that extra swing in my hips just to torture him more. When I reached it I turned and looked back at him, throwing out one hip. Real girls aren't perfect. You want perfect, go but a _Barbie! _"

I saluted him, "See ya Wonder boy."

Then I ran up the stairs. I saw Lily and we exchanged glances.

And we laughed and laughed and laughed.


	4. quidditch, maps and holes in the head

Chapter 4

The days were beginning to speed by, lessons blurring together, sunshine and blue skies giving way to frost and crisp air.

I almost didn't notice the changes that were happening around me.

Several Hogsmede trips came and went. Ja- I mean Potter didn't even ask Lily, he just walked past her. She almost looked...Disappointed? Nah.

Their daily blowups were becoming more and more infrequent. But for all you just reading this for the excitement of us getting the better of the Marauders don't worry. Black and I were fighting almost every day now.

Jazz went on a date with a Ravenclaw but came back half way through her date because, and I quote...

"All he was interested in was getting hints about the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Plus, he should really take out his brace if he wants to snog, it was like being chewed on by the Giant Squid."

I wonder how long the poor boys going in to be in the hospital wing for. Note to self, make a bet with Max.

And speaking of Quidditch, the first match of the season was fast approaching - Gryffindor Vs Slytherin. They were determined to win the cup for the first time in 6 years. We were just as determined to keep it. No wonder the stakes were so high. I'd been in detention twice already for duelling in the corridors and only one of those times I'd been duelling with Black.

The day dawned cold, crisp and perfect. Max was slapping her beaters bat against her leg, when I joined her in the Great Hall, not looking nervous exactly...More like she was sitting in a bed of spiny horklumps.

Ouch

Black and Potter, further down the table, were stuffing their faces as usual looking quite unconcerned about the forthcoming match. I was clad, as was most of the hall, in scarlet and gold, with my long Gryffindor scarf entwined around my neck. Alice and Lizzie had cornered me a few days before and forced me to draw a large banner of a lion eating a snake. I'd put an engorgement charm on it and Lily, always the genius, had made it change colours and roar every now and then.

We made our way down to the pitch and the whistle sounded. 14 broomsticks rocketed into the air, Ally Stevens snatching the quaffle from between a Slytherins fingers and zooming down the pitch, passing, ducking, dodging until _clang_ she put it through the hoop. Cheers rose from the scarlet supporters, drowning out the green boos and hisses. Soon beaters from both teams were whacking bludgers every which way, chasers dodging between them. The two seekers, Potter and Regulus Black, Sirius Black's younger brother, were circling at 60 feet.

We were a very vocal audience, booing and hissing every time Slytherin scored, gasping whenever a bludger went too near one of our team, then...Potter and Black were diving, near vertically downwards.

"They're going to CRASH!" screamed Lizzie who had started hyperventilating again. I slapped her then returned to the games, watching the streaks of colour through my binoculars only to see Regulus yank away sharply and Potter raise a clasped hand in triumph and forgot to break, ploughing straight into the pitch

ouch

But he didn't seem that fussed to be honest and anyway I wasn't about to weep salty tears over him even if he hadn't asked Lily out in almost 3 weeks ( a personal best for him) and he almost immediately sprang back to his feet and began some kind of war dance. Supporters were pouring onto the pitch and I think I must have been the only one who saw the bludger heading straight for Black, the only member still in the air.

"SIRIUS!" I screamed. He turned and our eyes met over the crowds for a second. I could just tell he was reeling in shock that I'd called him Sirius which I HADN'T meant to at all. It just sorta slipped out.

Then _BOOM. _The bludger connected with the back of his skull and he keeled over and began to fall...

Everywhere I looked people were laughing, cheering. Why had no-one noticed? Do something but no-one saw him. I ripped out my wand and yelled the first spell that came to mind.

"wingardium leviosa!"

He slowed, but continued to fall and now everyone was pointing and screaming.

Bit late now mate.

He hit the ground with a sickening crunch and I think I must have been imperiused or something because I was fighting and scratching my way down onto the pitch.

"Wake up you _GIT! _WAKE UP!" I hit him in the stomach not even noticing the teachers moving away the crowds, or the team and Lily joining me. Potter slipped his arm around a rather green looking Lily who pushed it away half-heartedly. I felt slightly sick as Black's stupid blood began to leak from Black's stupid head, from his stupid hairline of his stupid hair that he was always stupidly styling, even more than any stupid girl I know.

My eyes were suspiciously damp. I DO NOT LIKE BLACK! It's the cold wind and the fact that I won't be able to duel him for a month, that's all THAT'S ALL!

STOP SMIRKING!

I slapped him hard round the face and he gave a groan, eyes flickering.

"Knew you couldn't resist me Twinkle, you lurrrvvvveeeeeeee me Twink." He rolled over and was spectacularly sick onto the pitch.

I stood and stormed away, but not before landing a kick to his you know what. I hadn't meant to I swear.

Okay maybe I had.

I knew I was beetroot red, like Hagrid after drinking too much mead, and I hastily wiped my hand across my eyes, I WAS NOT GOING TO CRY! I raced through the busy common room where the party had already began and up to my dormy, glad it was empty, and threw myself onto my bed, buried my head in my pillow and cried and cried and cried.

After maybe 5 minutes Lily came through the door.

"Don't say anything," I growled through the pillow, but, as usual, she completely ignored me.

"Black's fine, Matron has already fixed his skull and let him go, she wanted to keep him in overnight but you know what happened last time she did that."

I grunted in response and tried to hide my grin as I remembered the last time he'd been in the hospital wing. He'd been so bored that he'd redecorated. There's still a part of the wall that has a huge picture of the Gryffindor quidditch team painted on it.

No-one, not even Minnie could get rid of it and Dumbledore probably could but always makes excuses not to. Personally I think he thought it was a good piece of magic.

Dumbledore's a bit odd like that. A genius, don't get me wrong, but a bit odd.

"It's ok Arty, really. No-one thinks you and Black..."

I sat up so fast my head hurt and I felt dizzy.

"WHAT? THAT BLACK AND I WHAT!"

"Well, that you're secretly dating."

She looked upset but I was furious and I didn't care that she was only the messenger. I wanted to scream myself hoarse and kill someone.

Preferably Black.

"OH, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK EH? DO YOU THINK I'D HONESTLY DATE MY SWORN ENEMY WHO'S MADE MY LIFE HELL SINCE DAY 1! WHO LAUGHED AT MY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A FATHER, THAT I'M A FREAK EVEN IN THIS WORLD!"

"Arty, it's not about your water thing or not having a father." She whispered, tears were pooling in her startlingly green eyes. We never argue, we never have.

"DO YOU THINK I LIKE BLACK!" I screamed at her. I knew I was hurting her, it was hurting me, but BLACK? There was a roll of thunder, a flash of lightning and it began to rain.

"Well, YOU did seem pretty cut up at the match when he fell!" She snapped back, drawing her wand.

I flushed tomato and drew my wand too, standing.

"WHAT ABOUT YOU AND POTTER EH? WHAT ABOUT THAT!"

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JAMES!" she yelled back.

"GO ON, ADMIT IT. YOU WERE PETTY CUT UP YOURSELF WHEN HE DIDN'T ASK YOU TO HOGSMEDE!"

"I HATE YOU!"

All the fight went out of me

"why don't you tell him how you feel?" Now it was my turn to whisper.

Lily was bright red with the effort of not hexing me to oblivion.

"You know you love him really but you're too PIG-HEADED to realise it. He's CHANGED Lily and we both know it. I've seen the glances, the way he looks at you, the way you look at him."

"WHAT ABOUT YOU AND BLACK THEN!" she almost spat the words, "NO? HUH? WELL GET OUT OF MY FACE THEN!"

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BL-"

"THIS HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH BLACK! THE ONLY REASON YOUR SO DAMNED WELL UP YOURSELF ABOUT ME AND POTTER IS BECAUSE YOUR PATHETICALLY AND IRREALIVANTLY INLOVE WITH SIRIUS BLACK YOURSELF. ADMIT IT!"

She'd gone too far. I threw my wand at the far wall with so much force it made sparks burst from the end and stormed out of the dormitory through the hustle and bustle of the party which had masked our shouting and out of the portrait hole. I needed to go home.

I didn't even notice that Sirius Black had got up and taken a scruffy piece of blank parchment and his wand out of his pocket.

****

**Any guesses for what the pieces of parchment was?**

**Please REVIEW!**


	5. swimming, snogging and dramatic rescues

**For some of this chapter I'm gonna be writing in Blacks POV. This shouldn't happen very much throughout the story though.**

**Sorry if you don't like it.**

**R&R**

****

The lake was calling me, pulling me towards it (which sounds crazy, even for me, but that's how it was.) I can forget everything when I'm underwater - Stupid Black, Lily, stupid Black, the Marauders, Stupid Black, the argument, Stupid Black, to name but a few.

The weather was being pretty antisocial for a day that a had been so nice this morning. The rain already had soaked me to the skin and the wind was freezing. I shivered and ran harder.

There's this rock which sticks out of the bank about 30feet above the water. I stood there, my hair, long ago yanked from its tie by the wind, streaming around my head, my clothes plastered to me (showing rather more than I would have been comfortable with, but no-one could see me so it didn't matter)

I didn't know how wrong I was.

I turned my back to the water and opened my arms, like little kids do when they're pretending to fly, and closed my eyes. I let myself drop.

Away from my confused head...And even more confused heart.

_(Sirius POV)_

_I could see her up there, drenched, and more beautiful than I'd ever realised. She didn't know I'd heard ever word of her argument, why she was hear now, why Lily was in tears in Prong's arms (something I never thought I'd see. I didn't even know why I was here now. _

_I stuffed the Marauder's Map back into my jacket and muttered "Mischief managed," even though it hadn't been and looked back up._

_She looked like some destroying angel there, her hair flying, the stormy lake her backdrop._

_Then she had to go and ruin the whole picture by trying to kill herself._

_I didn't even think, I tore off my shirt and jacket and dived in after her. My body began screaming long before the cold water made its way to my brain. I stared frantically around and saw her lying there, eyes closed. Like she was asleep._

_Beautiful and peaceful._

_But no bubbles came from her mouth and her face was like parchment. How long had she been under water? Was she dead?_

_I kicked down and grabbed her waist, pulling her skyward. Coughing and spluttering I lay across her body praying I wasn't too late. Her body wasn't cold, her hands, unlike mine which were blue, weren't showing her veins._

_I didn't even realise she wasn't coughing, or that she didn't even look mildly impressed. _

_"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THIINK YOU WERE DOING?" I screamed at her. _

_But I didn't bother waiting for her reply because, frankly, I had better things to be doing._

_Like snogging the living daylights out of her. _

_(End of POV)_

The water was singing to me. There was a school of fish nearby who getting ready for a dance show and I thought about going to watch but it was so peaceful down her, just lying there, eyes closed...

Until someone grabbed my waist and pulled me roughly to the surface that was.

I just lay there, stunned, as none other than Sirius Black lay across me, coughing and spluttering.

"What the HELL did you think YOU WERE DOING?"

I opened my mouth to come up with the really snappy retort like 'I could ask you the same question' but then the craziest and most improbable thing in the world happened. No, forget world, the universe, the _entire_ cosmos.

Sirius Black kissed me.

Okay, I have to admit he was a really, _really_ good kisser. It was like my brain was shutting down, all this white fog stuff was beginning to drift over shutting everything down. All I could think about was Sirius Black's mouth on mine and his hands in my hair.

Sirius Black

Sirius Black

SIRIUS BLACK

And the tiny part of my brain (it was getting smaller by the minute) that was still working was screaming at me that this was SIRIUS BLACK.

I'm not sure if I meant to or not, I'm not really sure if it was the right thing to do. But it got him of me didn't it?

I kicked him in the groin. _Again_

He stopped snogging me pretty fast.

I scrambled to my feet, which was a really bad idea cos well, I hadn't noticed before but Black was...You know...Topless.

Enough to give any girl heart failure. Or make them barf. Not sure which.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. I almost wanted him to start kissing me again.

Almost

My brain was still doing that fuzzy thing and not think straight thing.

Shout at him, yeah that will work.

But he's-

I _know_ he's topless. Get a grip girl

Great. Now I was having an argument with myself

_ARTY!_

"WHAT THE HELL DO _YOU _THINK YOU ARE DOING BLACK?" I screamed. I was soaked, half naked and badly wanted to start snogging him again.

"Saving you..."

I stared down, incredulity written all over my face. Saving me? Saving _me?_ I didn't need saving. If anyone needed saving in water it was him!

But then that annoying little voice in the back of my head (you know, the one that always says the last thing you want to hear) said 'But he didn't know that.'

I threw my arms up in exasperation and stormed away. I don't know who I was more furious with.

Sirius Black

Or myself.


	6. portraits, pictures and ginger newts

**Still no guesses about the title? I'll give you a clue, the moon is Remus**

**R&R please!**

****

Black caught up with me as I started climbing the staircase. He didn't say a word, just shrugged off his trademark leather jacket and handed it to me. I was about to refuse ( I wasn't cold, in fact I was probably warmer that he was) but one look at his face told me it was better not to argue.

Besides,( and I hate myself for saying this) his shirt was still soaked from the rain and more than a little see-through.

Crap, that meant mine was too.

I slung it around my shoulders and hurried up the stairs, hoping against hope that no-one would see us. Especially not Peeves. After hours, (McGonagall) soaked to the skin, (Filch) alone with Sirius Black (his groupies) and wearing his jacket (Lily). To name but a few of the people who would lynch me if they saw me.

We reached the portrait hole without incident and I knew it was too good to last.

That didn't stop me hoping though.

I said the password and the portrait was about to swing open when he grabbed my elbow and pulled me back. I wretched my arm away and turned to face him in defensive mode, scowl, hands deep in pockets. I could feel something in one of the pockets and I drew it out just in time to see Black turning deadly white and gulp...Nervously? Since when did Black do _nervous_?

I turned the two pieces of parchment between my fingers. The first was completely blank and ragged but I could sense that this piece of parchment was not all it seemed. Well, I have my secrets, you can keep yours.

I stuffed it back into the pocket and unfolded the other. Black looked like he needed to toilet, hopping from first one foot then the other, looking everywhere but at me.

Frankly he looked terrified.

I turned the parchment over and stared down. Sirius Black was staring back at me. A very familiar Sirius Black. A Sirius Black half smirking, half serious. A Sirius Black with a thick charcoal line down the centre of his face.

THAT DIRTY ROTTEN-

Hang on. It was months ago he'd nicked my pad, he'd been carrying this around with him for 4 months? I didn't know whether to be furious or mortified. I went with the furious-better to stick to familiar territory.

"What the _hell _do you think you are DOING?" I screamed at him. I'm not very original, I say the same thing every time I argue with him but I was humiliated. Taking that picture of something we both knew he could never be.

He didn't shout at me or hit me of even smirk.

"I can be like that if you wanted."

"DON'T YOU DARE MAKE FUN OF ME!" I think I need counselling.

My spell was deflected by his non-verbal one so it hit the Fat Lady who swung open with a squeak. Not even the loud music was enough the mask our, okay, _my_ raised voice.

Now I think back at it we must have looked so stupid.

Dripping onto the carpet. Me trying to kill him again while wearing his own jacket. Black silently deflecting my hexes, refusing to fight back.

I remember vaguely out of the corner of my eye seeing Lizzie standing on a table with Remus, a glass of what looked like firewhiskey in one hand, singing a duet between hysterical giggles and hiccups. Jazz was making out in the corner, Alice was dancing with Frank and Max was discussing the match with one of the chasers. I guessed Lily was up in the dormitory hiding from James.

All that stopped however when my screams met their ears.

You know the general thing I was saying "How DARE you STEAL from ME! Then FOLLOW me and RESCUE ME WHEN I DIDN'T NEED RESCUING!"

Then I punched him in the face.

Ok maybe I was being a little melodramatic but the sight of Sirius- I mean Black with blood running down his face was satisfying. Really satisfying. But then my annoying little voice kicked in and I bit my lip. The power of my punch had not only floored him but his nose had made a sickening crunching sound as my fist had connected with it.

Merlin's Y-fronts!

I rushed forwards but I think he must have thought I was going to attack him again or something because he stuck out his foot and tripped me.

Fortunately for me, I had a soft landing

Unfortunately for him, I fell straight on top of him and my knee sort of, well, I think you probably guess. Twice in one night, I'm not surprised he went cross eyed.

I did my best tomato impression.

Gales of laughter from the common room almost masked the only thing that could have made this whole escapade anymore humiliating. The five scariest words in any language across the globe.

Minnie's crisp voice "Miss di Angelo, Come with me."

Oh Crap.

And that is how I found myself in Professor McGonagall's office. Black was in the hospital wing and I was seated on a hard wooden chair in front of the scariest teacher in the entire school's desk. I defiantly know who got the better deal out of the two of us.

Minnie surveyed me through her glasses and sighed.

"Have a biscuit."

I did my best fish impression.

"Have a _biscuit_."

I took a jammy cauldron. (I've met newts and ginger or not they don't deserve to be made into cheap imitations. Newts are passionate, newts love Shakespeare and fine art and justice. I went to one of their courts of law once as a witness and for a cold blooded amphibian they looked downright murderous.)

Minnie took a chocolate chip owl and said "You need to stop this absurd fighting. I don't understand why you hate each other so much. I know he baits you but why do you have to respond?"

I thought about, I honestly did.

"The hours are good?" I grinned hopefully. "Mainly I think it's just habit now."

Minnie looked ready to bang her head against the wall, her voice became a lot more crisp and a lot less understanding.

"Well, as docking points and detentions don't seem to work we'll have to try something else. I think if Black and you were to work together on the next potions assign-"

I jumped to my feet, knocking over the chair,

"NO! Are You Insane? He'll Kill Me! I'll Kill Him!. Either way I won't get out of it alive! You WOULDN'T, YOU CAN'T! I'll...I'll... I'll appeal to Dumbledore!"

"Sit _down _ Miss di Angelo. It was the headmasters idea in any case. And after that escapade outside the common room..."

I sank back onto the chair that Minnie had restored to its upright position with a flick of her wand. I seriously thought I was going to be sick.

I think she must have noticed how green I'd gone because she added in a kinder tone, "It's only until the Christmas holidays start in 3 weeks. I'm sorry Arty but this is the only way. I have already spoken to Professor Slughorn and Mr Black. Everyone else will have the choice who they go with."

She smiled at me "That is all Arty, you may go."

I stood up on shaky legs and trailed back to the common room. Heads turned and the volume dropped to hushed whispers. I shut it all out a climbed the girls staircase. I had a best friend to get back.

I opened the door. Lily was sitting on her bed reading but she stood up when the when I entered. There was an awkward pause, then,

"Sorry" We both spoke at the same moment. Then we were hugging and laughing and I was more than a little teary eyed. We collapsed onto our beds and I smiled up at the ceiling and Lily glanced at me.

"Did you see his face when you got him in the jewels? _Again. _What's that the 9th time this term?"

I gazed back at her and grinned, "The tenth" and we both started laughing.

Tomorrow could wait. I had my best friend back.

I could survive _anything._


	7. chameleons, partners and stormy seas

**Another chapter up, any good? Also, a Hogsmede trip is coming up in a few chapter, not sure how many yet- 3 or 4, something like that and I need all the ideas for magical foods I can get, I've got loads but any would be greatly appreciated.**

**Thanks**

**Please Review.**

**XxXxXxXxXxX **

**Oh and I've decided being boiled alive for all eternity in a mouldy cheese fondue is too good for Pettigrew (my profile) Any ideas?**

****

You know how when you want time to go slowly it always speeds up? Well, today was one of those days, going past in lumps. One second I was at breakfast, then it was transfiguration, then charms and I was at lunch, then a free period and suddenly it was potions and my worst nightmare was coming true.

Walking down to the dungeons was no joke, it felt like a whole swarm on butterflies had decided to hibernate in my stomach and now it was spring. And Lizzie wasn't helping either with her prep talk of 'It's only for 3 weeks' and 'Least it's only potions.' I was so close to slapping her then running for it that I was practically having to tie my hands together. And not least of my worries was,

'Who's Lily going to partner now?'

It was horrendous.

I'm not going to scar you for life with the details- Nah, I suffered, you damn well can too.

The lesson started out with Professor Slughorn handing out our latest assignment. Lily, of course, got top marks and Sluggy (Yes I have nicknames for pretty much all my teachers, though admittedly not the most ingenious ones) did his usual rave about her for practically half the lesson. Not that I minded, the longer he raved, the longer I could put off having to talk to Black.

I looked at my assignment, an E, wow, mind you, I'd had Lily's help for it. Potions aren't really my thing (I'm more of a charms person) but to be an auror I need NEWT's in loads of stuff, potions included and I'm scraping a pass mostly in it so it could be worse.

In fact, I glanced around the gloomy dungeon, we divided into 3 groups. The incredibly brainy Ravenclaw's (of which there were 2) all us aurors in training (which comprised of the following list of us brave hearts

1. Lily Evans (potioneer extraordinaire)

2. James Potter (in love with the above)

3. Artemis di Angelo (the incredible and fantastic moi)

4. Sirius Black (marauder with really big head)

5. Alice Prewitt (half plant)

6. Frank Longbottom (totally in love with above)

7. Lizzie Darcy ( the mouse with a guitar)

8. Remus Lupin (brains, looks, how come some people get it all?))

Oh, and Snape. (Budding Deatheater)

Jazz hadn't taken potions as she was taking a special reporters course ( she already writes for two weekly magazines) and Max had ditched practically everything except flying (she wants to play professionally.)

I shook my head, coming out of my little day dream and visibly gulped as I saw the terrifying sight of Sirius Black heading my way.

"Sorry Lily." I said miserably, picked up my stuff and trailed over to him. On seeing this both James and Snape looked like Christmas had come early.

Lily looked like Christmas had been cancelled.

Snape was pushing his way over, desperately trying to catch her eyes but she was just a determinately looking the other way and was engrossed with her muffled conversation with Sluggy on the other side of the classroom.

I sat down but seconds later she set up her cauldron next to me.

"Slughorn's letting me work on my own."

I did my very best fish impression.

"I said I wanted to do a high risk potion and if it went wrong I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"And he let you?" Lily can get away with almost anything but this was pushing it, even by my standards.

"Uh huh, I gave him that extra credit report I did last week on antidotes to rare spider poisons found in the southern rainforests of South America and offered to help coach the 1st years."

"You _bribed _him?" I tried to look shocked but the grin kept slipping back onto my face.

She looked thoughtful. "Not _bribery_ exactly. More...Showing him the positives if he accepted my little proposition."

She joined in my laughter and I nodded over to a mutinous Snape who too was working by himself. The thing about NEWT's is mainly it's all solitary work and we've never had to work in pairs before. This was a whole new, and less than enjoyable, experience.

"You are all to choose a potion from _the Advanced Potioneer _to complete in your pairs over the next 3 weeks. You may start now." Slughorn began to walk anticlockwise around the dungeons peering over the different pairs shoulders.

Lily grinned at me, then buried her nose in the text book but I'd got that sick feeling in the base of my stomach again.

"We could do amortentia?" Black suggested, from the seat next to me, as he flicked through his copy of _ the Advanced Potioneer._

I snorted. I didn't trust Black with pumpkin juice, never mind a high risk and potentially fatal love potion.

"Or what about Polyjuice Potion?" I turned and faced him. See above.

"Or Felix felicis?"

I rolled my eyes, "It takes 6 months to brew and anyway, Lily and I made it last year."

He whistled looking suitably impressed.

"Yeah, well, Lily could make potions for England couldn't she? Her and Snivellus." I nodded towards the greasy head of Severus Snape over in one corner, who was cutting up some sort of roots as fast as he could.

Don't get me wrong, I can get on with most people except for Black but Snivellus is a git. I know he and Lily used to be friends so I put up with him up until 5th year. But there I drew the line, and so did Lily. He called her a You Know What.

Black turned a page and let out _another_ whistle (I noticed Sluggy looking over at us in annoyance) "Look at this! '_Trisentia' A colourless, odourless liquid that will, if brewed correctly, allow the drinker to assume chameleon like properties of blending into a background. _Fantastic!"

I shut my eyes and muttered a silent prayer for strength. "Yes" I said slowly, like I was addressing a small child, well, Black has the mind of a very small child so I guess I wasn't that far off. "But is says her and I quote, _'Warning; if brewed incorrectly this potion can cause great damage and side effects consisting of megrims, additional limb growth and attachment.'" _

"Yeah, but that's what makes it fun." I scowled at him.

"Please?"

He looked deeply into my eyes and my stomach did this flip flop thing which was definitely from the butterflies and NOTHING else. I'd never really looked into Sirius's eyes before, really into them, how they were endless, and deep. And stormy grey that held such depth in them, stormy grey like the sea, after fist light.

Stormy sea...

"Yeah..." I breathed, "Tristormy tri-" I mentally slapped myself and with some difficulty pulled my eyes away from his.

I glanced back up at his face quickly to see his all too familiar smirk returning.

"Great, then let's go!"

Wha-?

**R&R **


	8. potions, explosions and changing colours

" What are you doing Black?" I seized his arm and yanked back his arm to stop him adding powdered griffins claw for the third time. Everywhere I looked around the dungeons potions were simmering and swirling. Lily had gone textbook- 'Synthine' a antidote to a rare snake poison that I don't think I could make in a hundred years and even Sluggy was suitably impressed.

Snape was attempting the Wolfsbane potion and James and Remus seemed to be feverishly stirring and chopping over on the other side of the room. Remus just wanted good marks. James just wanted to impress Lily.

I couldn't see what the Ravenclaws were doing but Alice and Lizzie seemed to be in hysterics over a potion of neon green. I hoped they weren't going to blow up the dungeons again.

That was both an advantage and a disadvantage of potions- you can't hide anything. And I think in my case it was a definite disadvantage.

Okay, I admit it, the real reason I was so pissed off was the boy next to me. No-one ever wants to go with Black for potions, well, except his equally stupid mates (not counting Remus in the stupid bit) as he has a tendency to get bored. And when I say bored it's not the sort that you just send him outside to let off steam for a bit. When Black gets bored run for your sanity.

He has a tendency to blow things up when you leave him to his own devices.

Understand now why I was more than a little worried when he started trying to add the powdered griffins claw.

I checked my watch, I only had to survive 10 more minutes. It's okay, I took several deep steadying breaths and tried not to pass out from relief. I could dope with 10 minutes. I was saved.

That only goes to show how wrong I was.

Slughorn gave the order to pack up and I gratefully began dumping my stuff back into my bag. Our potion had turned the colour of mouldy porridge.

Oops

"Wait up Twinkle, I don't think it's meant to be this colour."

no freaking _duh_

"Yes Black, that is because you added too much powdered griffin claw, and stirred it anticlockwise instead of clockwise, and because you added armadillo bile instead of anaconda venom. I could go on, would you like me to?"

"On the whole _no, _you're making my head hurt"

_"Good"_

I snarled venomously and turned my back on him which is a very bad idea in normal circumstances but especially lethal if you happen to be in a crowded dungeon for of dangerous magic objects ingredients and matches.

I think the matches are the most dangerous.

"Look, I think is I just add this weird green stuff in this jar from the shelf marked ' Highly dangerous- to be used with care' from the potions store ad poke it with my wand."

"NO!" I almost screamed but I was too late, the _'weird green stuff' _ as Black so descriptively put it was actually bubotuber pus and the whole poking it with your wand, not a good idea.

The potion went from dormant to erupting faster than a volcano.

Slughorn went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights.

The dungeons exploded.

Not _again_

**Sorry this is quite a short chapter, hopefully the next chapter should be a bit longer, better and otherwise incredible. Or crap, not sure which yet.**

**please review!**


	9. smells, hell and sticking together

**sorry, this is another quite short chapter and it's the end of the holidays now so I'm gonna be a lot slower at updating now.**

**Sorry**

**But not too slow.**

**R&R!**

""

That was the dulcet tone of me in great agony.

I thought about sitting up but I decided that was way to much work. I think opening my eyes first might be a better idea. I was greeted by white. Why was I in a miniature snow storm? There's something I've forgotten, what was it.

Oh, yeah, that was it…

Kill Black.

I sat up and there was a groan from beside me. I peeled my eyes open a little bit more and looked down. My chosen victim was lying on the bed beside me. The one I wanted to murder.

Cos I was in the hospital wing because Sirius Black had blown up the freakin' dungeons.

And now I was being punished too.

Typical

Black groaned and rolled over. Unfortunately he was already on the edge of the hospital bed, so he fell off. I felt a sharp tug of my arm and I was falling too...

Straight onto his chest. His _bare_ chest.

"What the-!" Black groaned as I hit him around the face.

"What are you PLAYING AT BLACK!" Boy was he going to have a headache later.

He stared groggily up at me, "Why are you lying on top of me Twinkle?"

"I'm not, you pulled me off the bed...And I'm not Twinkle!"

"Oh I think you are, long brown hair, large choc-mud eyes, sarcastic attitude, has already hit me once. It all adds up to one person. Twinkle." He counted the reasons off on his fingers and winked at me. "Oh and you smell like her too."

"WHAT?"

"I didn't mean to say that, forget I said that!"

"_What_ do I smell like?"

"Please...?" He was practically begging now but I had no mercy for Sirius- Black.

"TELL ME!"

I braced myself for words such as horse dung, beetle dung, dragon dung, just dung in general really. What he actually said was _way_ more scary.

"Like, you know, er, mint, fresh mint?" He did his uneasy grin.

Damn it, he looks really cute when he does that face.

"Stop digging Black, you'll never make it out this hole." _Fresh mint _ I ask you, mind you I do use mint shampoo, like Lily always uses strawberry. It's just something I've always done but how did Black notice. He wouldn't notice if his pants were on fire.

"I'm getting up." I spat and tried to clamber off him. I got maybe 12 inches away before I was forced back down on him.

Sweet Merlin, I hope no-one saw that.

"Let. Me. Get. Up." I gritted my teeth and tried to quench my need to hit him again.

Hard

"I'm not doing anything." He did his wide eyed innocent look.

"Will you stop holding onto me?"

He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"What you mean like this?" And he put his arms round my waist.

"Get OFF ME!" I squirmed and wriggled but he wouldn't let go, so I elbowed him in the face.

"Thank you." I snapped and rolled off him. Or at least that was the plan. I got 12 inches and was forced back.

_'Warning; if brewed incorrectly this potion can cause great damage and side effects consisting of megrims, additional limb growth and attachment." _

Attachment.

SHIT!

"!"


	10. deja vu, beds and lousy jokes

**Yep, chapter 10 already, here's a longer chapter for you. Sorry for all the grammar, spelling mistakes ect.**

**Am I Mary sue-ing Arty?**

**Please review**

****

"What do you mean, you _can't_ fix it?" I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't scream at the Headmaster, I'll save that honour for Black back in the common room.

We had managed to get back into standing position as the matron had re-entered. We had then had to force down many vile tasting potions that didn't make any difference save to make me feel even more sick than I already did. She eventually gave up and sent us to the head.

Walking when you can't go further than 12 inches from someone is really, really hard. There was one very nasty incident on the fourth floor consisting of me tripping over my feet on a completely flat surface ( a talent of mine) yanking Black down on top of me ( he is seriously heavy ) who tried to save us both by grabbing a suit of armour that happened to be nearby. This failed and brought the armour down as well. I was almost glad I was underneath, judging by the swearing going on upstairs Black was in a great deal of pain.

Good

Finally, with much muffled swearing, we had made it to Dumbledore's office on the 7th floor. Judging by the confused glances we received on the way we looked as stupid as I felt.

Because of the bloody 12 inches I was having to walk close to Black. Very close. Like shoulders brushing close. And if he decided to stop ( which he did frequently just to annoy me) and being so much larger than me (I'm tall for a girl, 5 8"ish but seriously he tops 6 feet easy and he is kinda ripped- I know, I've seen him shirtless too many times) that I was having problems remaining upright.

I think the people passing us thought I was drunk which is stupid, I hadn't even had dinner, never mind alcohol. Thankfully though most people were stuffing their faces in the great hall. I couldn't believe it but I'd been unconscious for about 5 hours.

5 hours sharing a bed with an unconscious, _shirtless _Sirius. I mean Black.

It's enough to give anyone nightmares.

So here we were in the headmasters office, being told he couldn't fix. The greatest wizard in the world, the only one You Know Who was scared of, and he couldn't fix this bloody attachment curse.

Let me kill something. Please

"I'm sorry Miss di Angelo, Mr Black, I'm afraid it looks like you're stuck with it for the time being." He chuckled at his lousy joke.

I was ready to start begging but before I could do the whole on bended knee, kissing his feet, sucking up thing (and forcing Black to do the same) Sirius yanked me out of the office and back to the common room.

The second the portrait swung close behind and we were alone I started screaming at him. My voice was so high that I think bats would have had a job hearing it. Black's head was in his hands and he was clutching his ears. I stopped to draw breathe and he looked up hopeful, doing his puppy dog face.

I always find it hard to hit him when he does that face.

ARGH!

"What the _hell_ happened to you? You look like you've been run over by a truck!"

"Thanks Lily. Supportive as ever."

I wasn't in the mood to joke about it. Minnie had just left after telling us that she was sorry but Black and I were going to have to share quarters for the foreseeable future and that an extra room was to be grown off the common room. She also deducted points because I hit Black before she had made it to the portrait hole.

And I felt lousy. The room we were going to have to share was smaller than my dorm and had one large double bed in the centre.

That's right, _a double bed_.

Sirius had received a high five from James when they saw the sleeping arrangements and Lily was entitled to see the whole thing as a joke.

Cos now the whole ******* tower thought Black and I were dating. The quidditch incident had been bad enough but now we had to remain within 12 inches of each other. Stuff like that tends to lead to gossip.

We were sitting in the comfortable armchairs by the fire. Well I say comfortable, I was squashed in with Sirius and he kept 'accidentally' touching my leg. Lily, after a glance around at the money changing hands, had threatened to put every single person in the common room in detention if they didn't go to their respective dormitories straight away. There was lots of muttering but she drew her wand and even the bravest of the 7th years ran for their lives.

So we sat there, me, Black, Lily, James and Remus, in dead silence. Awkward

Then Jazz walked in. I guessed Alice was making out with Frank and Lizzie was at her extra curriculum courses. She works way too hard.

Jazz stormed straight up to me.

"EXPLAIN!" Jazz is terrifying when she wants to be, remember what I said about the kick boxing? I stood up, dragging Black with me.

"Black? Pur-lease You can do so much better than him."

"Hey!" Black looked miffed and put his arms around my waist. I elbowed him in the stomach.

"It's not what it looks like!" Jazz, as usual, didn't even listen (Why does no-one listen to me?)

"Get away from her!"

"Black smirked at her. "Can't."

"Black! I swear so help me I will put you in St Mungo's for a month if you don't MOVE. NOW!"

Black rested his chin on top of my head and stuck out his tongue at her. Then I saw the fist flying towards me. He made a 'flumph' noise and sat down. He got 12 bloody inches before the spell kicked in and I sat down heavily in his lap.

"JAZZ!" Lily yelled at her.

"What?" Oh so she listens to Lily does she? Traitor!

"It-was-in-potions-which-you-don't-do-when-Black-made-their-potion-explode-by- adding-bubotuber-pus-whic-is-highly-explosive-which-blasted-them-and-destroyed-the-dungeons-making-them-unconscious-for-five-hours-and-attached-them-together-so-they-can't-get-further-than-12-inches-apart-so now-Arty-is-going-to-have-sleep-in-the-same-bed-as-Black-which-is-torture-enough-without-you-breaking-his-nose-as-well-which-is-Arty's-job." Lily said very quickly and in one breath before Jazz could start hitting things again.

"Oh, sorry Black" She sat down on the carpet in front of the fire and nicked a chocolate frog of Remus.

"'_Oh sorry Black' _Is that all I get. You should be on bended knee begging my pardon."

"Why?"

"Because you bloody broke my nose."

"Episky. Anyway it's your fault, you blew up the cauldron in the first place."

"Please you too, my head is killing me." I had buried my head in my hands but their droning voices were still reaching my throbbing head.

The portrait slammed and someone stormed into the room. I looked up to see Max, looking murderous.

"EXPLAIN!" Whoa, deja vu.

"It's not what it looks like!" I yelled before she could get a word in edgeways. I think that actually made it sound even more suspicious.

Why me?

Lily looked like she was going to do her whole not breathing speech again so I cut in. Unfortunately for Black I wasn't quick enough. The fist flew straight over my head and the crunching of his nose was heard again.

"OW!"

"Black, stop dripping on me." I rolled my eyes, heaven help me. "Jazz- Max I mean, we're joined together by a spell okay?"

"Why didn't you say so before?" She grabbed another chocolate frog of Remus, who looked down at his dwindling pile in annoyance, and stretched out next to Jazz.

"I think on the whole I like Jazz better, least she had the decency to mend my nose." Sirius looked really miffed. Remus rolled his eyes and mutter 'Episky." There was another squelching noise and his nose fixed itself.

"Shut up Black." My head was killing and I buried my head again. I hate to say it but it was sort of comfortable sitting here. Not that I'd ever tell Black. His heads big enough without any more complements.

The portrait swung open _again_ and Alice and Lizzie walked in.

"i AM ATTACHED TO BLACK BY MAGIC NOT CHOICE!" I yelled at them, not wanting to go through the whole deja vu thing again.

Alice gave me a funny look.

"We know, we were in potions."

oh yeah.

"My head hurts." I said defensively. "I'm going to bed."

James wolf whistled and high fives Black.

Shit, Shit, Shit!


	11. eyes, ears and noughts and crosses

**Yep, a really long chapter now. Hope you like.**

**R&R PLEASE!**

I think it's amazing how I can face down a furious Lily, a big-headed Sirius, a livid Minnie, a greasy Snape, a lovesick James, a quidditch obsessed Max, a kick boxing Jazz, a scarily smart Lizzie, a herbology loving Alice, a food scoffing Peter, a slug club leading Slughorn _and _ a exploding potion without batting an eyelid (Well, maybe except for the last one...And the furious Lily- When Lily's mad run for your lives) but seeing that double bed terrified me so much I almost had hysterics.

Fortunately (I don't think I could have ever lived down having hysterics of Sirius Black) Lily had brewed me up a calming solution so I didn't '_Piss yourself and have hysterics._' Her words not mine.

The second I shut the door I pinched my nose and glugged it down, ignoring Black's sniggers at my look of disgust. My usual feeling of wanting to hex him into next week vanished, leaving me feeling slightly dazed...Dazed but not bothered. It was a new feeling but not an entirely unpleasant one.

I pulled him over to our trunks that Minnie had some poor unfortunate (unfortunate because the poor thing actually had to go into the boys dorm without a gasmask) house-elf to pack and bring down. That potion was brilliant, I was so getting Lily to make it again, and I couldn't even be bothered about my pyjamas. I always get really hot at night so all I wear is an old blue shirt that just hides my knickers and I knew without this potion I would be so red you could fry an egg on my face.

But I just shrugged it on and let Black turn round. He wolf whistled and raked his eyes over me, but I just rolled my eyes.

"I like you better sedated, you don't hit me so much."

I hit him, couldn't have him think that I was getting lazy could I know?

I turned my back on him but because of the **^^!" 12 inches I kept getting hit with his clothes and I nearly overbalanced at least twice.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

I turned round and wished I hadn't.

"No Black, just no. You are not sleeping in the same bed as me IN YOUR BOXERS!"

I think the potion wasn't enough to keep me sane. Or my madness just exceeded normal limitations.

He did his insanely cute puppy dog eyes but I stood firm, I did not even consider letting Black sleep in the same bed as me in his boxers I-Okay I'm a big fat liar. But it wasn't my fault that-he-was-the-fittest-boy-in-the-whole-damn-school-when-he-did-that-face-and-he-didn'y-have-any-clothes-on-except-for-his-red-and-gold-boxers (How's that for supporting your house.)

I gulped and let my eyes flick over him.

_oh boy _

He smirked at me, "Enjoying the view?"

I scowled at him and bent over to grab a pair of shorts from his trunk, unwittingly giving him a great view of my butt. At the time I didn't know this, that was until he gave it a slap.

That was it, I was going to *^!*^ strangle him with his own shorts but before I could act on my highly entertaining (to me at least though I don't know if he'd take it the same way) murder plan he stretch out one finger and forced my chin up so I was looking up into those swirling grey eyes. Damn him, why does a guy with all the manners of a wart hog (get it?) get such gorgeous stormy eyes. I could almost feel myself drowning in them except for the whole not being able to drown thing.

It was with great effort (I swear it gets harder every time I look into them) that I managed to tear my eyes away from his and stared down at my bare feet. They were nice feet. With red toenails ( Jazz had had to tie me to the bed to do them).

I could hear him talking Do NOT Look Up!

The Sirius formula -no looking up + not listening = No blushing.

For a cold water amphibian I blush _a lot._

"ARTY!" he yelled at me. Feet, look at feet. FEET!

"Why are you staring at your feet?"

"I'm not," I mumbled, I was doing my best tomato impression, I just knew I was, more potion QUICK

Keep looking at feet.

"Er, you are."

"Not."

I think I would have hit him again if I hadn't been so terrified that if I looked at him I'd do something _really _crazy like jump on him. Which I wouldn't... _ever._

I think

"Erm, can we go to bed now?"

I buried my head in my hands and didn't answer.

"Please?" Damn it, I could tell that that uneasy grin he did was back.

I buried deeper into my hands.

"ARTY!"

"WHAT!"

"It's freezing just standing here!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

This went on for a while till Black's patience finally gave out. I didn't see it coming (my eyes were still firmly hidden in my hands) but I definitely felt it. He grabbed me around the waist and threw me over one shoulder and, gulp, and I could feel his abs rubbing against my stomach.

"Put ME Down!" I tried to scream, but the potion still had a little juice left in it and my voice came out as intimidating as a baby field mouse. So not intimidating at all really. Black dumped me unceremoniously on the bed and lay down beside mw.

Awkward.

"This is awkward."

"Shut up Black"

I could feel the seconds ticking by, I was going to be so knackered tomorrow.

"We could play I Spy."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I'm not going to change my mind."

"I can keep this up all night."

"I'm sure you can."

"Please."

"Will it shut you up?"

"Maybe."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It still wouldn't shut you up."

"Okay, I'll shut up after we've played it."

"Fine!" I snapped. I could almost imagine him jumping up and down, clapping his hands like a toddler on sugar rush.

"I spy with my little eye something beginning with S."

"Oh let me guess-Sirius?"

His jaw dropped, I could almost hear it land on the floor.

"How did you guess?"

I rolled my eyes.

He blew his hair out of his eyes- that-I-was-not-looking-in.

"Okay, my turn. I spy something beginning with B."

"No."

"What?"

"You didn't say it right! It's I spy with _my little eye _ not just I spy! You've got to say it right!"

I was so going to strangle him.

"FINE, I spy _ with my little eye _something beginning with B"

"A brilliant, beautiful, bachelor that's a backdoor milkman and-"

"What the hell is a backdoor milkman?"

" Someone who delivers that smooth white stuff to your back door."

I slapped him, hard, around the face.

"OW! Boisterous, beautiful-"

"You've already had that one." He scowled at me and pouted. Cutely

"Beautiful Black." He finished and grinned.

I closed my eyes, praying for strength and rolled onto my back.

"No."

"_NO? _There's nothing else in this ruddy room!"

"Bed."

Even though I was staring up at the ceiling I could tell he was scowling.

"That's boring!"

"Shut up Black!"

We fell silent for a couple of minutes, then...

"We could play hangman!"

I rolled back onto my side onto my side so fast I could have out moved Snape that time the Marauders cornered him in the entrance hall with a bottle of shampoo, and came nose to nose with him. Literally, nose to nose. And almost lip to lip too.

"Or noughts and crosses?"

"Black, you will listen to me and listen well if you fancy being able to make kids in a few years. I am stuck with you for the foreseeable future not from choice, there is no-one on earth I would want to be stuck with less, but from a spell. I do not think I can survive this is you are going to stop me sleeping every night. So there are going to be a few ground rules- DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

He nodded mutely.

"1. At night you will not talk, attempt to make me play foolish games or distract me from sleep in any- BLACK STOP STARING AT MY MOUTH!"

"Wasn't"

Focus

"2. You shall not get detention while we are attached as I will have to sit in them too. 3. You shall not touch me in any way and say it was the spell- BLACK GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY THIGH!"

I slapped him around the face as hard as I could.

"Whatever you say Twinkle." And then he kissed me on my nose.

"BLACK!"

"Please, Twink, I'm half deaf already because of you and I need my ears to listen to girls saying how sexy I am."

"AAHHHH!"

I threw my hands into the air and rolled back onto my back.

I watched the embers of the fire glow and crackle, throwing shadows across the wall. I was not going to give Sirius the satisfaction of knowing I couldn't sleep because of him. I checked my watch, quarter to four, I was gonna be so shattered tomorrow. I rolled onto my other side and closed my eyes. It was going to be a _very long night._

****

I think I must have finally fallen asleep about 5 because the next thing I remember was light streaming through the window on a white world. Snow! Finally, after all, it was only 3 weeks till Christmas.

I could just make out the snow capped towers from where I lay. It was so beautiful it could almost make me forget my troubles.

Almost.

I shook my head wondering why I was so warm and why something warm was circling my waist.

Sweet Merlin, please don't let it be...

I lifted the covers and looked down.

My shirt was tangled around my waist and Black's arm was wrapped around me.

Sweet Merlin, he was going to pay for that.

I psyched myself up and glanced at him.

MERLINS Y-FRONTS!

Shirtless, tousle haired, I could see his eyes moving under their lids as he dreamed. I wriggled out from his arm as fast as I could and jumped out of bed.

Or at least I tried to jump out of bed. I actually only got half way before being thrown back, yep you've guessed it, onto Sirius's chest. He groaned and fell off the bed.

Honestly, if this is how I'm going to get up each morning I'm putting down crash mats. I felt more sorry for Sirius though ( lack of sleep and coffee had melted what little reasoning power I have in a morning)- It can't be nice to wake up on the floor with me squirming on his very naked chest.

"I need coffee." I groaned.

Coffee would make it better, it would wake me up and put the world back into perspective and I would go back to hating Sirius instead of wanting to lose myself in his stormy silver orbs.

Coffee makes everything seem better, if a little blurry around the edges. I once drank over 2 litres of the stuff and the world was green for a week.

But compared to the mess I'm in now a green world be highly preferable


	12. armour, converses and torture items

**Sorry, it has been a whole week since I last updated but I have had simply tonnes of homework**

****

**But the new chapter is here finally.**

**Hope you like and DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**

I look into the mirror and groaned. I looked like hell on a bad day.

"You look like hell on a bad day." Don't murder him, murder always makes loads of tedious paper work and Minnie will have to mention it when I am trying to get a job.

We had managed to make our way from the tangled heap on the floor to the bathroom, with lots of swearing on my part and lots of smirking and suggestive comments on Black's, that the room had grown over night.

I had looked into the mirror and wished I hadn't, I'm surprised it didn't crack. Even I can't get only an hour and a half hours sleep and look my best, I know, I'm surprised too but that's the way it is.

My face was a particularly unpleasant shade of parchment and my hair was lank, uncontrollable, and badly in need of a shower I knew I wasn't going to get. My eyes seemed even more abnormally large in my pale face and the bags underneath them were so huge I could have stored all my school equipment for the day in them. And probably some of Lily's stuff too.

AAAAHHH

I fished out my wand and, unsuccessfully, tried a number of charms to reduce the hideousness of my face. 20 minutes later I excepted defeat and instead turned to the large bag of war paint that everyone seems to give me and that I have absolutely no idea how to use. I could tell beside me Black was getting bored. In the 20 minutes I had been staring at myself he had got dressed, done his hair (this took at least 15 of his allocated time) and done the charms essay that was due in today and that I had done last week in the gloriously Sirius Black free library with Lily.

I didn't want to have to lower myself to having to ask Black's help on something, but he had had so many girlfriends I guessed he would know what to do, and I was desperate.

I grabbed a handful of mascara sticks, lipsticks, eye liners, eye shadows, foundation, curlers and some other unrecognisable objects that I thought were make-up but could have just as easily been implements of torture. (I should know, Jazz got it into her head to 'do me up' for a party in the common room once and I ended up refusing to go as I was covered in burns. Rule 121234. for dealing with my friends- Do NOT let Jazz near the straightners.

"HELP!"

"You're the girl, in your genes or something to know how to do make-up."

"How sexist is that? I never wear make-up as you very well know and I have no ruddy idea how any of these work!"

I can never be bothered to wear make-up. To me it is half an hour that could be better employed swimming or drawing. Plus when I go swimming it would all run anyway and I would then have to waste another precious half an hour re-fixing it again. I can't be bothered with all the hassle.

Black just shrugged and started making different coloured bubbles pop out of the top of his wand.

I snatched up a piece of parchment and hastily scrawled.

_'Lily, get your lazy arse down here pronto, big disaster. I need support._

_Arty'_

I whispered a couple of words and the paper folded into a tiny model boat which sat in my hand at 2 inches high. I blew on it and it sailed out of the room.

Black raised his eyebrows. "A boat? That's so last year."

"Oh yeah?" I shot back. "And what would you use? A cat?"

He looked offended. "Not a cat, horrible scrawny things."

That's the other thing I forgot to mention. I know all about the Marauders little excursions on the full moon. I had stumbled across it quite by accident 2 years back when I had almost bumped into a half visible stag. (I'd been on my way back from the lake at the time- I'd been invited to a mer party, let me tell you, a drunk mermaid is quite an impressive thing to see.)

I never told anyone, not even Lily, though.

The answer to my note arrived 5 minutes later with a sleepy eyes Lily.

But even a sleepy Lily still has a brain that works faster than mine does when I'm fully awake and has had two very large mugs of coffee.

"You do know that it's only quarter to seven." She said acidly as she began pulling clothes out of my trunk. "We could have had at least another 15 minutes in bed before having to get." She advanced on me and yanked to torture equipment out of my hands.

Did I mention that Lily's not exactly a morning person?

Half an hour later I was dressed, make-upped and my hair had been fought into something recognisable as a ponytail. In fact, as I screwed my gold hoops into my ears (don't you dare call me a chav!) I had to admit, I looked good. Not fantastic but good.

Lily had put a silencing charm on Sirius who had sat and sulked on the edge of the bathtub, (Seriously, a bathtub? Was Minnie actually even more insane than she pretended? I was going nowhere near a large amount a water with Black in tow. Look what happened last time. I got me into this mess and I dread to think what could happen if it happened again) pouting cutely, then proceeded to perform several spells on my face which returned it to its normal hue.

The image in the mirror had changed rather dramatically. My eyes didn't look like two black eyes anymore, in fact, they look sort of...Normal. My hair was curling over one shoulder and my lips were deep red. And I had now missed the start of breakfast. And I really, really needed the loo.

Lily nodded her approval (you could just tell she had wanted to do me up all year) grabbed her bag and exited the room, yelling over her shoulder that she was going to breakfast.

Breakfast. Gulp.

Okay, get the toilet thing over with and then you can have coffee. Lovely coffee, make it all seem better.

Firm, collected, I would be strong and not let him humiliate me.

"Ineedthetoilet."

"Huh?"

"Do I need to stun you or will you turn around and let me gotothetoilet?"

He just stared at me in complete bewilderment for about a minute before comprehension dawned and he began to howl with laughter. Yes, _howl. _And I wonder why his animagus form is a dog?

Give me strength. please

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

He managed to stop squawking with mirth just long enough to gasp out, "You? You need the loo?"

Then he started laughing again.

I punched him in the face.

That shut him up.

He turned his back on me and nursed his black eye as I sat down on the loo.

I couldn't do this.

My bladder was saying otherwise.

"Haudsanuso." I pointed my wand at his back. I had no idea what the spell did but on her way out Lily had scribbled it down on the back of my note and whispered- 'For emergencies.'

Get it over with.

"Don't you DARE to turn around!" I warned Black but he didn't answer me.

"BLACK!"

He still didn't turn around, almost like...He couldn't hear me.

THANKYOU LILY- YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER!

5 minutes later the dreadful deed was done and I muttered the counter-curse.

He turned and looked at me, "Are you going then?"

I stuck out my tongue at him (Childish I know but I felt better now) "Been."

He looked confused but shook his head and grabbed his charms essay. I elbowed him in the ribs to let him know I was moving and knelt down to lace up my knee high converses. Yes, I always wear my converses with my skirt. It's the difference between looking beautiful and clever in pumps (Lily, Lizzie and Jazz) sporty in ankle converses (Max) and being just different (Moi!) in a freaky way.

Right, breakfast now.

Finally!

I debated the best ways to get revenge on my way to breakfast when the idea presented itself to me in the form of Charles Briggs.

Briggs is the Marauders biggest rival in the looks department. Sort of pretty boy looks, I tend to go more for ruggedly handsome and dark but I have to admit he is good looking. Not in a weak knees way like Sirius but still good enough to be considered a major catch.

He had large blue eyes and blond hair cut really short. He's ripped in a 'I always work out' way instead of the lean athletic frame I prefer.

But what he has in looks he doesn't have in brains.

He's a Hufflepuff.

Not that I have anything against Hufflepuff's or anything but Briggs is a bit of a womanizer, gets the poor unfortunate victim swooning, then dumps them a week later. Not completely dissimilarly to a certain dark haired boy I happen to be attached too.

Perfect revenge.

I pretended to stop and stare at Briggs and gulp a few times. That was more than enough to get Sirius's attention. I gave a girly giggle that I'd never actually given before (I'm not sure if I got it right, it sounded a bit breathy but that's how Jazz always does *shrug*) and twirled some hair around my finger, letting my fringe hide one of my eyes.

Black was looking at me like I was an alien.

I was staring really hard at Briggs, then started like I'd forgotten who I was attached too.

Comprehension was dawning on Sirius's face.

I snatched his hand and dived into an alcove behind a suit of armour.

"What are you doing?"

"Tying my lace." I murmured, still trying to sound husky, while fiddling with the bottom of my shoe.

"Your laces do up at the top of your knees. And they're not undone. And why do you need to tie your laces _behind_ the suit of armour.

"No reason," That came out a bit shrill. But it wasn't my fault.

This wasn't such a good idea after all.

Sirius's thigh was digging into my own.

"Unless it's something to do with a certain, twat outside?"

I was scarlet. Damn Black. JUST MOVE!

I think he must have taken my blush for confirmation as he scowled.

"He can do so much better than him."

"Oh YEAH?" Jazz always defends what hanger-on-a she has at the time so I guess it's normal to go psycho whenever someone insults them. "And who would be a better choice? _You?" _

I put as much sarcasm as I could into the last world, then felt my whole stomach drop as his face fell.

Damn it.

Then the smirk returned as he stood sharply yanking me to my feet.

"Yeah."

What have I got myself into?

He seized my hand and spun me out from behind the armour so I turned on the spot, his hand holding mine above my head, and fell into his chest, his arms around my waist, mine around his neck. And I couldn't help myself, I was laughing.

"We'll just have to change your mind about Briggs then won't we?" His breath was cool against my ear, making me shiver and my knees go weak.

I could feel my heart pounding my head was screaming that he was going to kiss me. Sure, I was laughing but I couldn't kiss Sirius. I couldn't.

But I really wanted too.

I spun away from him, laughing slightly too loudly, my smile slightly too bright.

Inside my heart was breaking.

"Gotcha!"

I smirked triumphantly.

He gaped at me.

I just wanted to get away from the guy I was falling for.

Cos now I knew what that squirming feeling was in my stomach.

'My only love has sprung from my only hate.'

Shakespeare didn't know how right he was.


	13. truth, dare and too much firewhiskey

**Yep, here's Chapter 13. I didn't like this chapter very much so please let me know what you think.**

**R&R please!**

To get back at me for the whole pretending to crush Briggs thing Sirius organized a little get together that night after dinner.

"No."

"Please Twinkle!"

"No."

"You can bring all your little friends and I'll bring some mates okay?"

"No."

"You'll enjoy it."

"No."

"Look-"

I was getting to him now. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha

"I am taller than you, larger than you, stronger than you, play more quidditch than you, and I am quite capable of picking you up and carrying you to the Room of Requirements so unless you want everyone in Gryffindor tower to see you being dragged along by your hair I suggest you move NOW!"

"No."

"AAAHHHHH. Please Twinkle. For me."

I started saying something really witty and sarcastic like 'And what difference do you make' when he did his puppy dog face.

And the next thing I knew I was sitting with Jazz, Alice, Max, Lizzie, Lily, Sirius, James, Remus, Peter and Frank in a room I had never seen before. It was really warm, despite the snow outside, and had a brightly crackling fire. The walls were draped in scarlet and gold and there were several comfortable couches arranged in a square around a table with a bottle in a holder on it.

Oh no.

I seriously need to learn to stand up to Sirius when he does that face but something in my just goes to mush. Like ice cream in summer. Sweet and gooey but slightly off putting.

"Welcome." Announced Sirius, to some polite applause from everyone except Lily and me (we were sulking)

"To Marauder Strip Truth or Dare."

Jazz let out a whoop but Lily looked outraged. I was trying to hide in my hands, again.

"There's only one rule, " he continued, sliding an arm around my waist, (I didn't have the energy to hake him off) "Don't do the Dare, take off the clothes. Got it?"

We all nodded.

"Okay, here goes," he gestured to me with his free arm towards the bottle, "Do the honours Twink."

I reached forward and pushed my fingertips against the cool glass. It span, dizzyingly fast, for a few seconds before landing on Peter.

I smirked, maybe this evening would have some bonuses after all.

"Truth or Dare?"

He scrunched up his nose and said, after much boring deliberation, "Truth, no Dare. Truth. Or Dare, erm, Truth, yeah truth"

I put one finger to my chin and pretended to think. "Have you ever peed in a swimming pool?"

He turned red and muttered a quick no. The opening neck of the bottle turned to him like a canon and shot green sparks at him which set his trousers on fire while screaming

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

"Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention, " Black yelled over the screams of Peter, and the howls of laughter from everyone (Peter was tearing round the room, half sobbing, half screaming, and desperately hitting his arse with his hands to stop the fire.) "If you lie, the bottle know and the fire won't go out until you tell the truth."

"YES YES YES!" screamed Peter, who was clutching at his butt like he was worried it might fall off. I could hardly breath, it was so funny.

The fire vanished and Peter perched back on the sofa next to Jazz and Max who were clutching each other and snorting.

Peter scowled and gave the bottle a shove. It whirled and landed on Sirius next to me.

"Truth or D-"

"Dare!" Sirius cut in before he could finish.

"I dare you to…. I dare you to come up with as many sexual innuendos as you can to Arty before she hits you and gives you another black eye."

Black kissed my nose," I'm going to apologise about this in advance because I don't want you to hit me too hard.

I winked at him. "I might not hit you in the balls again if you really beg." Sometimes I don't know how I dare to say half the stuff I say.

"Here goes nothing. How do you like your eggs in the morning? Fertilized?"

"That is sick!"

"Why don't you come over here, sit in my lap and we'll talk about the first thing that pops up?"

"Shall I hit you now, just to save us both the embarrassment?"

"I've been a bad boy. Spank me!"

This was funny, in a terribly painful kind of way.

"I have the urge to make you the happiest lady on earth tonight.

"You'd make me the happiest lady on earth tonight by shutting up."

"Excuse me. I'm from the FBI, the Fine Body Investigators, and I'm going to have to ask you to assume that position."

Everyone else was laughing their heads off.

"Do you even know what the FBI is?"

"I've got ship, you've got the harbour, how about we tie up for the night?"

Jazz let out a wolf whistle.

"Do you actually come up with these in your spare time?"

"The outfit would look great crumpled in a heap next to my bed."

Does he seriously go around making these up?

"Hey baby…Mind if I take my pants off?"

"YES!"

"The word of the day is 'Legs'. What do you say to going back to our dorm ad spreading the word?"

"!"

"I'm trying to determine after many years of therapy and lots of testing, whether or not I'm allergic to sex."

"You? No chance!"

"Hi, will you help me find my lost puppy? I think he went into the dorm upstairs."

"Would it save everyone the trouble if I just gave up and went mad now?"

"I'M GONNA HAVESEX TONIGHT!"

"Huh? Who with?"

"That depends, what are you doing about 1pm?"

I walked straight into that one didn't I?

"I know it's not Christmas, but Santa's lap is always ready."

"You're missing the beard."

"Wrap it in foil before checking her oil."

I can't take anymore. I punched him in the face.

Jazz let out a cheer and everyone fell about. Even Lily was grinning, though that might have been the large amounts of fire-whiskey that was being passed round.

We stood and took a bow and I fixed Sirius's nose before he span the bottle again.

"Okay Alice, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth"

"What turns you on?"

"Frank." She said without batting an eyelid, and settled into her boyfriends lap and reaching forward to spin the bottle.

"Lily, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to...Give a piece of underwear to...James!"

She frowned at him for a bit then pulled her top up at the back and undid her bra. My jaw fell open, as did everyone else. James looked like he'd died and gone to heaven.

I think lily must have seen everyone's faces because she shrugged. "It was a dare wasn't it?"

She span the bottle and it landed on Jazz.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, can't let Lily have all the fun!"

"I dare you to snog Peter!"

Peter sat forward hopefully but Jazz was already taking off her shoes. "Soz babes, but I have standards." Peter sat in the corner and sulked for the rest of the evening.

"Truth or Dare James?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to use as many pick up lines as you can on Lily until she begs you to stop by doing whatever you ask her too."

James went pale but Lily just started giggling, and it occurred to me for the first time that they hadn't argued in over 2 months.

"That's a blatant rip off of mine and Twinks one!" Sirius scowled.

"Just do the dare!"

"Okay, Lils. You like lessons, this is a muggle one. Do you want to do maths? Let's add a bed, subtract your clothes, divide your legs and multiply!"

Lily flushed scarlet, the same colour as her hair, a swatted half heartedly at James. He slipped his hand into hers and she went even redder.

"You may fall from the sky, you may fall from a tree, but the best way to fall...is in love with me."

"Aaaah Jamsie Poos gone all romantic." No guesses for whole that was.

"My magic watch says that you don't have any knickers on."

Lily looked confused. "Yes I do."

"Damn, it must be fifteen minutes fast."

"Okay, whatever you got with the last one you just lost with that." Lily tried to tug her hand out of James and sent me a pleading look. I shrugged and took another gulp from the bottle of fire-whiskey.

"Do you believe in love at first sight or do you want me to walk past again?"

"I've turned you down for 6 years, it's hardly first sight!"

"If I told you that you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?"

Lily took another gulp of her drink and pouted. "What do I have to do to get you to SHUT UP?"

"Sit in my lap for the rest of the evening."

"Even I'm not _that_ desperate!"

"Did it hurt when you fell out of heaven?"

"Nope, that's what the wings are for."

"AAAAH, aren't they just the cutest couple ever!"

"SHUT UP JAZZ!"

"There are 20 angels in the world- 11 are sleeping, 8 are busy and 1 is sitting next to me."

"What can I say, I've got the halo." I definitely think Lily's drunk.

"I've noticed you noticing me and I'm just giving you notice that I've noticed you!"

Lily hiccupped and started giggling along with everyone else.

"Roses are red, candle light flickers, after the meal, it's off with the knickers."

I snorted and almost fell off the couch. I felt Sirius's hands grab my waist before I hit the floor and hoist me back up into his lap. I blamed the alcohol but it was _really _ nice just sitting there with his arms around my waist. I'm a drunk 17 year old, even I can't control the feelings sometimes

"Did the sun come up or did you just smile at me?"

"Don't get use to it. Okay_, _ I surrender, you win, no more pick up lines PLEASE!" And with that she clambered into his lap. I felt my jaw drop again.

Definitely drunk.

"Max, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Make out with Peter."

Peter sat back hopefully and uncrossed his arms but his hope was short lived as Max shook her head and pulled off her hoodie.

She winked at him and said, "Sorry darling but I have standards."

Max then span the bottle completely oblivious to the filthy look Peter was shooting her.

"Lizzie, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Erm, if you had to snog anyone here, who would it be?"

"Pass!" She was flushing as she pulled of her own shoes and span the bottle.

"Frank, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Make out with a girl of your choice that isn't Alice."

"Nope, it's Alice or no-one." He kissed her neck, then pulled off his shirt.

"Lils, tr-"

"Dare!"

"Snog Peter. " Lily didn't even bother apologising as she yanked off her shoes.

I tried to smother my laughter as I watched Peter scowl and muttered, "Yeah I know '_standards_'."

Unfortunately I didn't smother it enough and was on the receiving end of another filthy look. If looks could kill I'd be 6 feet under.

"Arty?"

I didn't trust Lily not to say something about Sirius that I might regret later when I was sober so I picked dare.

"Snog Pete."

I rolled my eyes and pulled off my tie. Peter looked ready to storm out of the room.

And so it went on.

I got Jazz to cat walk across the room 'seductively'. Jazz got Lily to admit the worst thing she'd done outside of Hogwarts was to punch her sister in the face. Lily got Remus to graffiti on the walls outside the room of requirement (which I was liking better and better as it kept producing more bottles of fire-whiskey) 'Snape is a sexy beast. Rawr!' and Remus dared Lizzie to make out with Peter, but she refused and took off her socks.

"Sorry Peter," she did look a little bit upset about being the 5th girl to turn him down but then Remus put his arm around her and she cheered up considerably considering she had sworn blind a few weeks ago that she wasn't into him.

"But I've got-"

"Standards!" We all bellowed and Peter stalked out of the room to everyone's amusement.

My head was beginning to feel nicely muffled as Jazz suddenly let out a strangled gasp and started grabbing her stuff.

"SORRY GUYS!" she yelled as she sped out the door, "GOT AN APPOINTMENT TO KEEP WITH JOSH SOMEBODY IN THE BROOM CUPBOARD ON THE FORTH FLOOR AND I'M GONNA BE LATE!"

"She doesn't even know the guys last name and she's making out with them?" Sirius pretended to look disgusted. I elbowed him in the ribs and raised an eyebrow.

"She's better than you. You didn't even know the name of the girl you were making out with in the cupboard on the 6th floor a few weeks back!"

He started to reply but Lizzie cut in

"Truth or Dare Arty?"

"Dare!"

"Give Sirius your bra."

"No chance!"

I untied my converses and chucked them into the middle.

Frank imitated Hagrid after too much wine, then dared Alice to make out with him which she did so with so much undesirable information that Sirius yelled out 'Get a room!' and the room produced a thankfully soundproofed room that they both disappeared into.

Almost an hour later, (ten to 9) Max left too saying she had to do that '_ruddy transfiguration that the ruddy quidditch captain made her miss because of practise!_' James had ducked to empty bottle that had been lobbed at his head and spun the bottle again.

Lizzie admitted that she was scared of spiders and I stood on my head for 5 minutes. James was dared to eat a worm sandwich which he transfigured into a ice cream and Lily lost her socks by refusing to kiss James and Sirius took one look at my face and took off his shirt when James dared him to kiss me. I lost my socks too by refusing to say what my deepest secret was. (To be honest I'm not really sure if my deepest secret in the Aquainfantia thing or the fact that I don't have a clue who my dad is. Either way I don't want that sort of information out in the open)

"Lizzie, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." She was pinky red and was giggling.

Note to self- do that de hangover charm on Lizzie tomorrow morning, she gets drunk _way_ easier than most people.

"Do you fancy Remus?" That was probably a bit mean of me but what can I say? I'm tipsy.

She went from rose to tomato and started stuttering. "Pass,"

"Fine, " Sirius is _so_ evil sometimes! "Take off your shirt."

She gaped at him, by-passing red and going white. "W-what?" She looked down and seemed to realise for the first time that she'd got to the stage where flesh was going to start showing.

She stood up and grabbed her clothes and shoes, "You know what, I just remembered I haven't done that conclusion for Slughorn's essay of Polyjuice Potion. I'd better go." And with that she ran for it.

"Go on!" James gave Remus a light punch on the arm. "Go after her! In fact, that's my dare, go after her or strip!"

"It's not your go!" Lily cut in but James sent her a look and she fell silent. I wondered vaguely why Remus looked like a raspberry but he left without another word and I let it drop.

Thinking is overrated.

"That was _evil_ Sirius. EVIL!" I let out the bubble of laughter and collapsed back against his chest. I felt him stiffen and my laughter died.

"What?" He hadn't minded before.

"You called me Sirius!"

Did I? I guess I've been calling him Sirius in my head for so long now it must have slipped out.

"Yeah? Got a problem with that?"

"...No. It sounds cute when you say it. That's my dare to you. Call me Sirius forever and ever and ever!"

"_Forever?" _I did my wide eyed look at him and grinned. "Okay _Sirius_ whatever you say."

By half eleven the colours were beginning to blur together and my head was begging to ache. In case your wandering who was winning on the clothes front I shall write a list.

Lily- Shirt and knickers

James- trousers and, I hope, boxers

Sirius- boxers (blue with a broomstick pattern by the hem, not that I was looking or anything)

and Me- bra, knickers and skirt

In normal circumstances I would have been mortified but at the moment everything just felt like a massive joke.

A clock appeared on the wall above the fire place when I wondered what time it was and I jumped when it began to chime midnight.

My head was a mixture of pounding headache and just wanting Sirius to shut up that stupid game and snog me. I remember falling sideways and Sirius catching me. I remember yawning and giggling at the same time, giving me hiccups. I remember Lily and Sirius's worried faces.

And then...And then I couldn't remember anymore.


	14. Getting Too Close For Comfort

**Sorry about the wait, I've had writers block so I've bullied myself through this chapter. Sorry if it's terrible.**

**As always I own nothing but Arty and the plot.**

**Please review!**

When I woke up the next morning I wished I hadn't. My head felt like a rabid porcupine was crawling around inside it. A very _angry_ rabid porcupine.

With extra spines.

I was dying for a drink of water so I knew I was de-hydrated and here's the thing about me when I get drunk. I don't just de-hydrate in my head, my whole body dries out. And the only thing that helps is completely submerging myself and going swimming.

Water for me is better than any de-hangover spell. It can sometimes even mend my cuts and bruises and if I swim pretty regularly I never get zits or greasy hair.

Today was day 3 of being attached to Sirius and I hadn't been down to the lake for at least a week.

It felt like I hadn't either.

I groaned and rolled over, eyes still firmly shut and smashed my nose against something very hard.

"Shit!"

So now I had a sore nose to add to my complaints list of a hangover, pounding head and aching limbs.

"You _do_ know it's only 4 in the morning? It's a bit early to be swearing."

"Huh?"

"You should watch your mouth, swearing. Tut, tut, tut. What would Minnie say?"

At this moment in time I think I would probably say something very rude to Minnie.

"How do you know?"

"Because Minnie almost castrated me for just-"

"Not that. How do you know it's only four?"

"Magic."

"Really?" I'm not always at my brightest at 4 am.

"No."

"Oh." There wasn't much I could say to that but you know me- I can never shut up. "So how do you know?"

"I looked at my watch."

"Oh."

I shut up after that.

If it really was 4 am then I had 4 hours before class. Well I definitely know I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep and I wasn't going to just lie here verbally sparing with Sirius. Fun as that would be.

What I really, _really, _wanted to do was go swimming, but that was impossible. I also really, _really, _ wanted a shower because that was impossible too.

Definitely impossible...Or was it.

I sat up sharply and swore as the sharp stabbing pain multiplied by at least a thousand.

"Have you got trunks?"

"Huh?"

"Trunks, you know, _swimming _trunks?"

"Erm, yeah...I think. Why?"

"Just put them on and come with me."

I slid out of bed and grabbed my swimming costume out of my own trunk along with my uniform and shoes. As it was only 4 I figured no-one would be around at this time in the morning and anyway, I knew a shortcut to the place I was going.

I probably should have thought about what I was wearing.

"Are you er, well, going to get dressed?" Poor Black looked kinda anxious, like I might attack him at any moment. I looked down at the shirt I was wearing.

Blue- tick

Thigh length- tick

Design- Oh no

"Is this your shirt?"

He sort of hunched his shoulders and nodded.

"Oh."

I had to ask him. I really didn't want too as I knew it was going to be humiliating.

"What _really_ happened last night?"

He gulped and took a step back, forgetting for the first time that I couldn't go further than 12 inches away from him. I felt my feet fly out from underneath me and I was falling forwards. He caught me around the waist as I grabbed hold of the first thing I could- His shoulders.

I don't know how long we stood there, in each other's arms, just staring into each other's eyes.

"Well, after, after you...Went to sleep, well, I figured you wouldn't want to be seen in your bra and knickers by everyone in the common room and I couldn't find your shirt so I, er, well, gave you mine and, em, carried you back here. Pleasedon'thitme!"

He was that scared of me? Well, I'd broken his nose for less.

I decided to go for the more terrifying options which wouldn't hurt my knuckles so much.

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

I might have just hit him with a beaters bat. Actually I think that would have surprised him less.

His eyes got that glazed look and his mouth fell open. Okay, that's enough sloppy stuff.

I grabbed his hand and yanked him out the portrait hole, "Come On!"

**0o0o0o**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Water mint." I told the portrait on the left after the statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor and the door swung open on the prefects bathroom.

"Where are we?" Of course, Sirius wouldn't have been near anything to do with prefects with a 10 metre stick.

"The prefects bathroom."

"You do know we're both not prefects don't you?"

"Since when has that stopped you?"

"So why are we here?"

"I don't know about you but I need a shower and a swim and this bathroom is the next best thing."

"What is it with you and water? It's like you live in it or something."

Yeah, I think this conversation is heading a bit too close to dangerous territory.

"Are you coming in the water or not?"

"No fear, I'm not and neither are you!"

ARRGGHH I pulled Sirius's shirt over my head and tried not to blush as his eyes flickered over my one piece blue swimming costume I had on underneath.

"I am going in that water and nothing you can say or do will stop me!" I think maybe the headache was making me slightly more grumpy than normal. Or maybe the fact that it was _freaking 4 AM!_

"I'm not going in the water!"

"Why not?" I challenged, beginning to turn on the taps. Huge bubbles, the size of my head billowed out and foam in lurid shades followed.

"Because," He folded his arms across his chest, "Last time I went in the water with you, you beat the living crap out of me."

"Be reasonable. You took it into you're fat head to yank me out the water where I was perfectly happy and start making out with me. I acted purely in self defence!"

"Yeah, and thanks to your _self defence _you've been using all year and am now probably not able to have kids with you!"

_With ME!_

I think the shock must have shown on my face because he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender and said hastily, "Joke, joke!"

I scowled at him, trying to ignore the slight fluttering in my stomach, "Well it _wasn't FUNNY!"_

And because I still needed to get back at him for getting me drunk last night, I pushed him in the water.

"SHIT!" He hit the water fully clothed and on his back and sank under. I had just time to think 'Oh no, not again.' When I was dragged forward and ploughed straight into the water and an irate Sirius Black.

Personally I was pretty glad I could breathe underwater, least when it goes up my nose I can turn it into oxygen. Sirius wasn't so lucky. When he broke the surface he was coughing so bad I thought he was going to collapse.

"This is WAR!"

He dived under and pulled me legs out from underneath me, but instead of coughing and spluttering like I think he had hoped I turned a backwards summersault underwater and dived through his legs.

And let me tell you, going through a guys legs when you can only go 12 inches away from him is kinda scary.

**0o0o0o**

I was pretty glad that the bathroom was completely soundproof because my screams and his yells would probably been enough to wake the whole castle. Did I mention that if you look in this secret compartment near the taps there's a secret store of Muggle water pistols?

A water fight with Sirius is like nothing in this world.

"TRUCE TRUCE!" He yelled as I got him straight in the face for the third time running.

I flung my pistol onto the ground and slid into the water again, floating on my back next to him. It was nice just floating there in friendly silence, occasionally flick water at each other. Then I glanced at the clock and sighed, we'd have to get out soon. I let me legs sink until I was upright then dipped under, enjoying the last few water filled moments.

I was about to climb out when I felt Sirius reach out and grab my elbow.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The water thing. It's like you live in it and you can stay under for ages. It's not human."

Not human, that's a laugh.

"I can just hold my breathy for a long time."

"You're lying." He said flatly, "It's more than that, it's like you can breathe in it or something."

I forced a laugh, trying to stop my legs from trembling.

"Don't worry darling, "I said with flake bravado,

"If there's two things your Arty doesn't do, It's lie, and breathe underwater."

**Big thumbs up to anyone who got the hoodwinked reference!**


	15. death, despair and cheesy love songs

**I don't own anything. *goes and sits in a corner crying***

**Please review**

To get back at me for pushing him into the water and staring a water fight, which I had done to pay him back for getting me drunk and giving a rapid porcupine for a headache, which he had done to get back at for pretending to crush his biggest competitor in the looks compartment (but not the brains) which I had done to get revenge on him for _rescuing _me at the lake, snogging the living daylights out of me, then _stopping_ snogging the living daylights out of me,_ then_ seeing me so completely soaked that I was sure he could see me bra through my shirt, _then_ following me back to the common room, _then_ giving me his jacket (which I still had), then_ mortifying_ me by accidentally letting me find out that he stole my pictures, _then_ humiliating me even more by saying he could be like the picture, _then_ not fighting me back, _then _falling over so I fell on top of him, _then_ letting the whole common room see that I was lying on top of him, _then_ giving me a detention from Minnie when she caught from all the noise we, okay, I, was making, which made us work together in potions where he did his silver eyes thing which meant I gave into him and let him do the potion of his choice, in which he was inattentive that he only BLEW THE WHOLE FREAKIN THING UP!

And got us stuck together.

So you see, his crimes far outstretch my own so I think I was ok having a little bit of revenge.

So, to get back at me for pretty much all the above (he still thinks it's all my fault at the lake when I kneed him) he decided to go for the most embarrassing thing he could of thought of.

"What sort of music do you like?"

"Huh?" We were in History of Magic, I had thought that Sirius was asleep until he started talking.

He peered over my shoulder at the drawing of the Forbidden Forest I could just see out of the window I was sat next to and nodded his approval.

"So what music do you like?"

"Erm, I don't know really, anything with guitars and drums that you can dance to really."

"Okay, so what music do you hate?"

"What is this? The Spanish inquisition?"

"Just curiosity."

"Love songs."

"Huh?"

"I hate love songs."

"Why?"

"I dunno, they're like, so fake or something. All crooning and bull, they never say what they really mean."

"It's not always easy to say what you really mean."

Sheesh , when did Sirius get all kung fu wisdom.

"How would you know? You've never been in love. Girls just throw themselves at you"

"Not my fault that I'm sex on legs."

I rolled my eyes and carried on drawing. When I looked back at him he was asleep.

**0o0o0o**

"I'm starving!"

"You're always starving."

"This is different."

"Really?" I muttered dryly as we walked towards the great hall for dinner.

"I only had 4 pieces of toast and scrambled egg for breakfast this morning."

"Only? I had an apple and a cup of coffee. Well more like 3 really."

"You're insane! How can you live on that amount of food?"

"Quite easily."

I sat down and grabbed a slice of quiche, then watched agog as he loaded his plate with steak and kidney pie and mashed potato.

"You could feed an army on that lot."

"bumfdeniwudtgetaetit."

"Excuse me?"

He swallowed and repeated, "But then I wouldn't get to eat it," Before stuffing in another huge bite.

"I liked you better with your mouth full."

James strolled in at that point and sat down opposite us.

"It's all ready..." He trailed off and his face got that goofy look most people associate with new born puppies. I looked up to see Lily walking in with Alice and Frank who were holding hands.

I waved to her and she walked over, sitting down on my Sirius free side.

"Ahgh." That was James.

"I'm just grabbing a snack before my potions tutor sessions start." Lily told me as she grabbed a sandwich and a apple and bolted them down.

"Serves you right for bribing him." I quipped and we both started laughing. Less than 5 minutes later she got up with a sigh and grabbed her bag, heading for the door.

James's face began to regain its normal colour.

"I have to admit it Prongs, you've got taste. That is one sexy babe!"

"When you've both put your eyes back in, " I snapped, "You can tell me what's ready?"

"Huh?"

"Potter just walked up to you and said something's ready and I want to know if it's illegal or involves me."

"It's not illegal, but it does involve you."

"Great, fantastic. That's probably worse than it being illegal."

"Probably." Sirius agreed, before standing up, and yanking me to my feet.

He nodded to James. "Hit it!"

"Don't you dare Sirius Orion Black. DON'T YOU DARE!" Too late.

He was singing.

_"You'd think that people would have __had enough of silly love songs."_

You're damn right

_"__But I look around me and I see it isn't so."_

What the hell are you looking at?

_"__Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs."_

Yeah, including you

_"__And what's wrong with that?"_

Quite a lot

_"__I'd like to know, 'cause here I go again"_

I wish you would go again, preferably off a cliff

_"__I love you, I love you,"_

No you Don't!

_"__I love you, I love you,"_

You still don't

_"__I can't explain the feeling's plain to me, say can't you see? "_

Erm, nope

_"__Ah, she gave me more, she gave it all to me"_

NO I FREAKIN' WELL DIDN'T!

_"__Now can't you see,"_

I'd rather be blind than have to watch this.

_"__What's wrong with that"_

EVERYTHING!

_"__I need to know, 'cause here I go again"_

Off a cliff and into the waiting jaws of the Giant Squid

_"__I love you, I love you"_

We've been through this before!

_"__Love doesn't come in a minute,"_

And neither does a smack in the face, that only take twenty seconds

_"__Sometimes it doesn't come at all"_

I damn well hope you're right

_"__I only know that when I'm in it"_

I am DYING!

_"__It isn't silly, no, it isn't silly, love isn't silly at all."_

Pease KILL ME NOW!

_"__How can I tell you about my loved one?  
>How can I tell you about my loved one? "<em>

Let it end please

_"__How can I tell you about my loved one?  
>(I love you)<br>How can I tell you about my loved one?  
>(I love you)"<em>

I was so red I looked like a radish with sunburn.

He finished with a flourish and seized my hands, spinning me round.

"And that," He announced, his voice still magically magnified. "Is a cheesy love song."

I tried to pull away from but he pulled me closer and muttered, "Quietus."

"Point to me I think darling."

**Please Review!**


	16. revenge, heels and torture by disney

**Check out the duck song on You tube- it's the most annoying song ever :) please review!**

The next two days were filled with we poor attached pair annoying the sanity out of each other. Not that I had very much sanity left at this point.

To get back at him for humiliating me in the Great Hall (I hate the Beatles) I forced him to sit still in the library for almost four hours while Lily and I did all our homework for over the holidays. Every time he said something we completely ignored him and by the time we finally rolled up our parchment and shoved away our books ( well, I shoved them away, Lily laid them down in the revered way normally associated with newborn babies) he snatched my bag from me and threw me over one shoulder in a fireman's lift. No matter how I wriggled and kicked he didn't let me down until we had reached the Gryffindor common room on the 7th floor and at least half the school had seen us.

Sometimes I wonder if my life is worth living.

So I had turned his hair blue. When he'd stopped screaming he'd got Remus to put it right (Grrr! Traitor) and turned all the clothes in my trunk blue. This didn't matter a huge amount but then he transfigured my converses into stilettos that were at least 5 miles high and meant I kept bumping my head on door frames and falling over. After I'd finished screaming at him we'd gone to afternoon lessons and Lily had turned them back for me.

Seriously (No, not _you_ Sirius!) who needs the cruciatus curse ? Stick them in high heels for a few minutes and you'll have them begging for mercy.

After surviving lessons without Sirius blowing anything up we'd headed for the Great Hall for some food when one of Sirius's fan girls, a blonde with her boobs practically falling out her shirt, came over and called me a slut. She would have probably slapped me too but was scared of breaking a nail. I had no such worries and punched her straight in the face. Minnie had then stormed over and deducted points, not that I cared. I'd then put a whistling hex on Sirius to pay him back for the jealous fan girl (like I actually wanted to be stuck to Sirius) so he couldn't talk, only whistle. Remus (I was seriously going to have words with him about this) had taken it off him so Sirius asked me in a carrying voice that the whole common room couldn't help overhear, which broom cupboard we'd be shagging in tonight. I hit him in the face and dragged him off to our room to get some sleep. He had then whistled the Hogwarts song to the tune a Muggle song Friday until one in the morning when I had finally cracked and knocked him out.

The next morning I had to sit through him and James singing the duck song (and he waddled away waddle, waddle) until last lesson which happened to be Muggle studies.

Don't ask me why I took Muggle studies at NEWT level because I have absolutely no idea.

Lily and Lizzie took it because, well, they're Lily and Lizzie and that's what they do. Alice took it because Frank was taking it and Frank was taking it because Alice was taking. Max took it because her sport coach said she needed at least one NEWT and this was the easiest option. Jazz took it because she thought the professor was fit (which he is in a pretty boy kinda way). James took it so he could drool over Lily a little bit more each day and Sirius took it to annoy his pure blood family.

And me?

I had absolutely no idea what I was doing there.

"Today we'll be looking at muggle children entertainment, and especially a firm that makes muggle films called Disney." I yawned as Professor Kaprin went on to explain several stories and show us a few clips from each film.

They were all pretty much the same- Beautiful girl, normally a princess, meets handsome boy, always a prince/semi naked wild man (always a turn on), fall in love by speaking 2 words to each other or just looking at each other, want to be together for eternity, something goes wrong, tragedy strikes in the form of evil stepmother (ask Max, steps aren't all that bad)/species difference/disapproving parents ect, beautiful princess obviously used up her whole brain on the singing voice and looks ect as she ends up being locked in a tower/ guarded by dragon/handsome prince enchanted ect before being rescued by handsome prince/semi naked wild man and

Live

Happily

Ever

After

The End

Hate to break it to you but real life doesn't work quite like that.

Take this one , The Little Mermaid, (I have no idea who they hired to design these mermaids because they look nothing like that.) There's a little mermaid (really original guys) called Ariel (and I thought my name was bad) decides to give her voice, her tail and the ability to pull off a seashell bra that no human could (sigh) in exchange for growing pains, PMS and a guy who doesn't even know she exists.

Typical Disney.

The only heroine I kinda liked was Megara from Hercules.

The line 'I'm Megara, my friends call me Meg. At least they would if I had any friends.' Really cracked me up.

She was sassy, sarcastic, and totally self reliant. Plus she worked for the most awesome baddy ever. I seriously wanted Hades to win at the end. Anyway, by the end she was your completely stereotypical DID (Damsel in Distress) after falling for some guy who was this total dweeb.

But she was still kind of cool.

When the bell rang at the end of the lesson, (the start of the holidays YES!) Prof Kaprin dropped a bomb.

"Against all advice and Earthly reason and sanity the Headmaster, who I personally think has completely lost it, has decided that on New Year's Eve we are to be having a Disney themed ball as part of the NEWT Muggle Studies curriculum. I'm afraid it is mandatory and you have to dress as one of the characters. Dumbledore has informed me to tell you all that everyone skiving will have to go around dresses as a disney princess until the end of term."

"NO FREAKIN' WAY am I dressing up as a total dweeb who needs a ruddy guy for her life to be complete!"

Shit, that was loud.

He looked at me sympathetically over the excited/murderous/terrified whispers that had erupted.

"I'm sorry. I have said all this to the Headmaster but he seems to find the whole idea...Amusing."

I bet he's the only one.

"We teachers are being tortured into this as well, so it's not just you who have something to complain about. There's a Hogsmede trip tomorrow and we all have to get our costumes then."

He then handed us each a small square of card and let us escape to the Great Hall.

After all 11 of us (my dorm, the marauders and Frank) and there had been a lot of 'I can't looks' and 'no you go first' and 'how could he do this to us?' which were very boring we looked at our cards and found out which torture we'd have to go through for a whole night.

I figured you probably wouldn't want to listen to our argument and hyperventilating so I've written a list for you.

Me-Megara (I wasn't _that_ mad about this, sure I mean I was mad, but not _that_ mad, and I didn't have to humiliate myself by wearing a ball gown and tripping over or pouring firewhiskey down myself or something equally embarrassing like that)

Lily- Ariel (How do you dress up as a mermaid?)

Lizzie- Belle (2 words - ball gown)

Alice- Sleeping Beauty (least she'd have an excuse to snore the whole way through)

Jazz- Kida (She was delighted over this as she could, her words not mine 'get the boys drooling over a legally skimpy costume.' I worry about Jazz sometimes)

Max- Mulan (kick ass girl who runs away to join the army)

Sirius- Flynn rider (Sexy thief, What more can I say?)

James-Eric (Now I understood why Lily looked so constipated)

Remus- The Beast/Adam (Appropriate huh?)

Frank- Prince Phillip (So whenever Alice snores too loudly he can kiss her awake again)

Peter- Gaston

The last one was probably the most funny- in the description of Gaston on his card, who seems to be the villain from Beauty and the Beast, was the best looking guy ever and had the heart of a pig.

When we all (minus Peter) had stopped laughing our heads off a terrible thought struck me.

"I'm gonna be stuck to you all night aren't I?"

Sirius smirked at me.

"Yep, you'll get to spend even more time with moi!"

I groaned.

**R&R!**


	17. shopping, costumes and twirling snow

**So so so sorry I've been so long updating. I've been working on another one.**

**Massive thanks to Gliding One for the shop name!**

**Please review!**

The next day, that of the Christmas Hogsmede trip and the beginning of the holidays, dawned cold, snowy, and glinting with sunshine and endless blue skies. I gave Sirius a friendly punch (we'd declared a truce after the horror of 'The Disney Announcement' as we had dubbed it) and yelled 'Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey' straight in his ear hole, then while he was still half asleep dragged him into the bathroom.

I was in a good mood.

I know, surprising isn't it.

I shock myself sometimes.

By the time I'd wrapped my long red and gold scarf around my neck (It still reached my knees) and ensemble of all 11 of us (where Alice went, Frank was sure to follow and as I was attached to one of the leaders of the Marauders so they were there (minus Peter who was in the Hospital Wing with constipation) too.

All in all it was a pretty large crowd that left for Hogsmede after breakfast but even through the throngs of people even I couldn't miss that Jazz was jumping up and down (beautifully and gracefully of course) in hyper excitement.

"What got into Jazz? She looks like a toddler on sugar rush."

"Don't I know, Sirius, the last time she was this excited she accidentally charmed herself so she could fly, it took us ages to pry her off the ceiling."

Sirius mock shuddered as Jazz's and Lizzie's conversation floated over towards us.

It went something like this…

Jazz: (bouncing around in toddler sugar rush way) You'll never guess! You'll never guess!

Lizzie: You hooked up with Briggs last night?

Jazz: Nah, did that last week, and it's _even_ better than that.

Lizzie: (mock sarcastic) What could be better than that?

Jazz: Well, this for starters.

Lizzie: What?

Jazz: (Pouting in such a way that some poor fourth year who'd been watching her fell straight on his face in a pile of snow and went beetroot. Jazz didn't even notice much to his relief ) That's what you're supposed to be guessing.

Lizzie: I hate this game

Jazz: You'll never guess, you'll never guess!

Lizzie: (now annoyed) Then what's the point of me trying to guess?

Lily, who walking on the other side of me rolled her eyes and muttered, "I'd better go and rescue her hadn't I?"

"Good luck, you'll need it"

"Thanks for that boost of confidence."

" Confidence is ignorance, if you're feeling cocky there's something you don't know."

"Have you been reading psychology books _again_?"

In my defence that was only one time when Lizzie was so stressed with OWL's that she took to beating some poor unsuspecting person (usually me) around the head with the thickest transfiguration book she could find (and believe me they are _thick!_). It hurt so bad that I started reading therapy books just to get her to calm down.

Lily rolled her eyes at me and walked over to Jazz and Lizzie who were still arguing.

Jazz: (On spotting Lily) Great Lils, you'll never guess, you'll never guess!

Lizzie: (exasperated) It's like she's a stuck record

Lily: (Raising one eyebrow) Judging by the fact that it's today you chose to get excited it must be something at Hogsmede. And as you got a long letter from your mother this morning it must be something to do with home, or at least the business. So my guess is that your mother has set up a branch of her business in Hogsmede.

Jazz: (Jaw drop) Oh

Lizzie: (Jaw drop) Oh

I rolled my eyes. Trust Lily to know exactly what was going on. I was just contemplating heading into the Three Broomsticks for a pint when Jazz let out a strangled shriek. I spun a round expecting dementors/ deatheaters/ ex-boy friends at the very least but instead saw Jazz in the arms of a small women who looked far to good to be the mother of three children. They were jabbering away in rapid Hindi (Jazz is bilingual) and seemed to be unaware that all five of us (Alice and Frank had vanished off the Madam Puddifoots and Lizzie and Remus had gone to look for books) were just standing there.

Jazz noticed us then and ushered us into the little shop behind her. Just before the door clanged behind us I caught a glance of the sign swinging outside the shop.

'StarDucks! Home of the Mocha Filled Glowing duck!'

And it was like stepping into another world.

**0o0o0o0**

The café was brightly lit and full of comfortable couches, with low wooden tables and a counter over at one side. But it wasn't just ac café, hundreds of shelves lined the walls with goodies of every shape and variety.

There was a blackboard over the counter reading the specials of the day, Spell Fish starter, followed by self stirring stir fry with cheese and bangers(because crackers weren't loud enough) for afters. A wireless stood in another corner playing music softly underneath several pictures of Diagon Alley and a small house with a family in front of it I recognised as Jazz and her family by her house in India.

I pulled Sirius over to a shelf as name after name jumped out at me:

Teeth Cleaning Sweets: no more worrying about decay

Reducing Chocolate: eat as much as you want without expanding

Jelly Snakes: wiggle 'n' giggle in the stomach

Sherbet Volcano: They'll erupt your insides

Chocolate Mice: First you'll need to catch them.

Sirius was examining a packet of 'Magic Mushrooms (Tired of Seeing the World in the Right Colours?) with one hand and had a small packet of boiled sweets 'Chilli and Ginger (It's enough to blow anyone's head off) in the other. He grinned at me and we all sat down and ordered.

It was over two hours later that we finally paid and left, feeling pleasantly stuffed. I rolled my eyes at Lily and pulled Sirius over to Madam Malkin's robes for every occasions to pick up our disney costumes, I was still trying not to think about it, before splitting up and going to buy our Christmas presents.

Most of my friends were pretty simple, books for Lily and Lizzie, subscription to another quidditch magazine for Max, some sort of plant for Alice, jewellery and make up for Jazz but I had absolutely no idea what to get Sirius, or whether I ought to even get him a present. We'd been through a lot in the last few weeks, with the potion and everything and I had already admitted to myself, even if I would have rather found a way to drown myself than tell Sirius, that I liked him in _that_ way.

But there was no way I was gonna let him rip my heart by dropping me the second a pair of long legs bounced past. I had my standards.

But then I saw it. The perfect present for Sirius. A book. Okay, don't get me wrong I know it's not something that I'd normally give him but it was just perfect.

'1 million and 1 practical jokes, tricks, and secrets for Hogwarts'

I glanced at Sirius who had his back to me and was flicking through something which looked like an old quidditch magazine before slipping a hand into my back pocket and pulling out a handful of galleons. I nodded at the shop assistant who hurried over after realising that I was actually attached to the guy behind me. I pocketed my change and stuffed it hastily into my bag, before pulling Sirius towards the door.

"Time for butterbeer me thinks,"

Sirius grinned at me.

"Finally you're talking my language."

And we set off through the twirling snow to find our friends.


	18. snow, tangles and the other side of lily

"WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY!"

"That's my line."

I rolled over and buried my head in the pillow.

Ouch

We'd finally made it back from Hogsmede frozen, exhausted and more than a little tipsy. I'd have been happy lying in a bubbly bath with a good book for an hour or two but Sirius had had other ideas.

Sirius, keyed up on butterbeer and firewhiskey, had been in all out party mode and hadn't let me stop dancing until about 3am when I'd threatened to charm all his laces to tie themselves together every time he tried to go down a flight of stairs. Having finally got the message we'd collapsed into bed and I'd passed out from exhaustion about 30 seconds later.

Sirius stripped the covers off me and sat up, yanking me up with him too. Blame my pounding head, sleep deprivation or lack of coffee or any other plausible explanation you can think of but I buried my head in his chest and groaned. I could just tell that he was staring down at me in utter confusion but his shirt was soft and his stomach was comfy and I couldn't think straight.

I definitely need coffee.

"Knew you couldn't resist me Twinkle."

Way to kill the moment

I groaned in response and buried my head deeper into his chest. I felt like I'd been run over by the Knight Bus. I heard him laugh through the fog my brain was making to try and block out the pain and then one of his hands stroking my messy hair, smoothing out the tangles.

Why couldn't Sirius be nice like this all the time?

And why doesn't he like me like James likes Lily?

Why does being an hormonal teenage witch have to be so damn complicated?

I' m not sure how long we just sat there but after a while the pounding in my head subsided long enough for me to sit up properly and rub my face. Even with my back to his I could tell he was watching me.

I yawned. "So what's the plan for today?"

He stretched out one hand and pulled my face around so I was looking at him.

He cracked a grin I can only describe as evil.

"Snowball fight!"

I groaned

**0o0o0o**

"I still can't believe your making me do this." Lily scowled at me as we walked down with the Marauders to the courtyard.

I held my hands up in surrender, "It's Marauder tradition apparently."

"It's so totally obvious that Black just made that up to get you to side with him."

"You think so?"

"I _know _so."

"Oh."

"Uhuh."

I changed tack at about the speed of a snitch, "You wouldn't leave me to be torn apart by the Marauder's by myself would you?"

"You're right, that way I wouldn't get my Christmas present."

I shoved her good naturedly with my shoulder and then walked into the back of Sirius who had stopped without my noticing.

"Ooof"

Sirius caught me automatically (over the last week our reflexes had got pretty good because of all the falling over I did) and twirled me around before dipping me. I caught Lily's knowing smirk and untangled myself.

"So teams?" James looked, well, like a kid at Christmas.

"Normal teams?" Peter piped up from where he was stuffing the last of some sort of food into his mouth.

"Yes Pete except the girls will have to split up. Arty will have to go with Sirius and-"

"Why does Arty have to go on Sirius's team?"

Is he really this stupid or does he just pretend so James and Sirius take pity on him?

"Because I'm stuck to him Peter. _Remember?_"

He flushed, "Oh yeah,"

James shot Peter a look and continued, "And Lily will have to come with me, okay?"

This was more aimed at Lily than anyone else but she nodded and actually smiled at him. I swear his jaw dropped at least a foot.

She giggled slightly and blushed, James messed up his hair nervously. Sirius and I just stared dumbfounded at each other.

"Are we just going to spend valuable snowballing time staring at each other or are we actually going to get a fight in before it's too dark to see anyone?"

James tore his eyes away from Lily and shook his head slightly. "Right, sorry Remus,"

"Don't bother apologising, I'm just standing here in an awkward silence here."

"Okay, okay!"

Remus rolled his eyes and flicked his wand at a pile of snow, making it fly towards James, getting him straight in the face. He spluttered and gasped then grabbed a handful off the floor by his feet, lobbing it at Remus, but missing and getting me in the stomach. I doubled over under the pretence of being winded but instead seized a handful, stuffing it down the back of Sirius's jacket.

He responded like any sane person by running round in circles, screaming at the top of his lungs.

And really, it pretty much went on from there.

Peter fell forwards into a pile of slush and just lay there with his bum in the air. Lily was chasing James around the courtyard, snow dripping from her hair. I sheltered behind Sirius as he and Remus exchanged rapid fire before Lily got me from behind and Sirius and I were standing back to back defending against all of them, any team alliances gone completely.

It was every witch for themselves.

Then the largest snowball yet flew over Remus's head, lobbed his way by Sirius and aided by the charm I had cast on it, soared through the air, further than any other snow ball had gone...And landed, _smack!_, in Minnie's face.

Awwh Dragon bogies!

"Detention Mr Black, Miss Di Angelo, tomorrow my office."

"B-b-but Professor," I spluttered. "It was an accident, and it's Christmas Eve tomorr-"

"I don't care! You cannot throw a snowball, even if it had gone further than any snowball before, at a member of staff and expect to get away with it."

"But-but-but-"

"Anymore buts and I'll transfigure you into a goat. Now GO INSIDE!"

**0o0o0o**

"You do know this is all your fault don't you?" I asked Sirius conversationally, the next day as we walked down towards McGonagall's office.

"yep."

That wasn't the answer I was expecting.

"Huh?"

"Whenever I get put in detention with someone, usually James, they always blame me. It's tradition."

"Right."

"Don't worry, I didn't get it for the first 6 years of school either."

"That's all right then."

The clock behind us chimed 10 o clock and I pushed open the door, little knowing that when I came out my life would have changed forever...


	19. detention, lines and avarda me now

**Please let me know what you think!**

"You both know why you are here don't you."

Sure I did. It was half past eight on Christmas Eve and I was in detention with Sirius for accidentally hitting Minnie in the face with a giant snowball.

"Sure Minnie."

"Sirius!"

"Its all right Miss di Angelo. Nothing I can say or do can stop him and really I think I've wasted enough of my life putting him in detention."

That's not at all confusing is it.

"You will be doing lines that I have written on the board." She nodded at the blackboard behind her desk and sat down.

Arrrggghhh! This is all Sirius's fault. Why did he have to be so annoying and hard to argue with and damn sexy.

I wrote the line.

'I must not throw snowballs at my wonderful, amazing, incredible, intelligent transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, who is much wiser than I am and does not deserve to be ambushed while she was peacefully crossing the courtyard.'

I made a face. Trust Minnie to write a sentence that would take me half a year to write.

I wrote it again.

'I must not throw snowballs at my wonderful, amazing, incredible, intelligent transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, who is much wiser than I am and does not deserve to be ambushed while she was peacefully crossing the courtyard.'

And again.

'I must not throw snowballs at my wonderful, amazing, incredible, intelligent transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, who is much wiser than I am and does not deserve to be ambushed while she was peacefully crossing the courtyard.'

And again

'I must not throw snowballs at my wonderful, amazing, incredible, intelligent transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, who is much wiser than I am and does not deserve to be ambushed while she was peacefully crossing the courtyard.'

Sirius hadn't so much as picked up his quill.

I must not throw snowballs…

I could feel his eyes on me

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I was going to go mad if I had to write that again.

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

I must not throw snowballs…

KNOCK KNOCK

I jumped and looked up to see a small first year cowering by the door. Minnie looked up and nodded at her to enter.

"P-p-please Miss. It's P-p-p-peeves M-miss. On the f-first f-floor. M-m-mister F-filch s-s-said t-t-t-to g-get you."

I don't remember being that terrified of Minnie when I was a first. But then again, there's a lot of things from first year I don't remember like why I decided to hate Sirius.

Minnie let out a long sigh and shot us a look that plainly said 'Break anything and I'll nail you to a tree' then followed the firsty out into the corridor.

I must not throw snowballs…

Sirius didn't even try to keep up the illusion that we weren't alone in a soundproofed classroom on a deserted floor with miles of corridors between me and any other person.

I must not throw snowballs…

I did

I must not throw snowballs…

"Look at me"

I must not throw snowballs…

Just ignore him.

I must not throw snowballs…

"Look at me!"

I must not throw snowballs…

Not listening.

I must not throw snowballs…

"LOOK AT ME DAMN YOU BEFORE I THROW YOU OUT OF THIS CONVENIENT LOOKING WINDOW THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE RIGHT NEXT TO ME AND ARTEMIS SIZED!"

I looked at him.

He swung back on 2 legs of his chair and looked at me. He looked, perish the thought, serious.

I kinda missed his smirk.

"We need to talk."

The bottom dropped out of my stomach, those are seriously the most terrifying words in any language in this cosmos. Forget 'Miss di Angelo, Come With Me' this outstripped this by at least three hundred and ninety six miles. This was off the chart.

"There's...There's nothing to talk about." Why am I stammering? And why was he so tall? I was at a definite disadvantage having to crane my neck just to look into his face. Even when we're sitting down.

I pushed my chair back and stood up so I was now looking down on him. My elation at this however was short lived. The (Insert whatever nasty swear word that you want here because I'm not allowed to exceed the T rating) curse forced him to his feet too so now he was even taller than when he started.

Bother

He was so close to me, I could have counted his eyelashes. Way closer than the curse made us be. I dropped my gaze to my feet.

"Why don't you just admit you like me and go out with me? It wouldn't kill you do admit it."

It damn well might

"I can't admit what isn't true." I lied. Bugger, I was doing the foot staring thing again.

He reached out with one hand and lifter my chin with one long finger.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't like me." He whispered.

"I...I" I stuttered, but the silver spell was drifting over me, like mist over water, obliterating every other thought except looking into those grey eyes forever.

And then he was kissing me.

I can't describe that word. It was like sunshine and starlight and moonbeams on water. Like hope and happiness and never being alone. Like fireworks and the start of the holidays and just being with the people I love.

The people I was including Sirius with.

It was like eternity, yet I knew I could never describe it again. Just my hands around his neck and his, one at my waist, pulling me closer, the other at my hair, pulling out the tie that held it back. I felt it cascade down my back, so long that it reached my waist, felt his hand bury in it, supporting my head. I could feel his lips, soft and gentle, so different from that day at the lake. Gentle, yet firm, never letting me go, leaving me breathless.

The fog was coming down over my mind, Sirius. I couldn't kiss Sirius. I couldn't remember why but there was that tiny part of my mind that told me I hated Sirius and couldn't kiss him. I couldn't push myself away from him, I couldn't pull away my lips. Legs, something about knees. Knee him.

He caught my leg before I even got half way, pulling it around his waist.

"17 and already predictable." He murmured against my lips, his cool breath making me dizzy.

What the hell, I pulled him closer, sliding my hands through his hair, kissing him more urgently. He bit back a moan and his hand slid up my back underneath my shirt.

What the hell.

I slid one of my hands out of his hair and down to his waist, sliding it up under his own untucked shirt, touching his rock solid abs that I seen so many times.

"Hem"

I undid the buttons on his shirt and slid it over his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor, and rubbed my hands ever his muscles more urgently, yanking him closer, moaning his name.

"Hem"

He gasped something unintelligible against my lips and seized my other thigh, pulling it around his waist so I was straddling him.

"Hem!"

His hand found the bottom of my shirt, teasing me, pulling at the buttons. I felt him smile beneath my lips, felt my shirt slide off one of my shoulders.

"MR BLACK, MISS DI ANGELO CONTAIN YOURSELVES!"

Minnie screamed at us.

Oh Shit!

We pulled away from each other so fast you could practically see the steam. I yanked my shirt back up and pulled my skirt back down to a respectable length. Stepping backwards…

Straight into the discarded chair.

And that is how I found myself flying through the air 'til I came to a loud, humiliating and incredibly painful stop of my back on the floor a good metre way from where I'd started.

SHIT SHIT SHIT!

Minnie was staring first at me on my arse on the floor, then at Sirius, still topless, hair rumpled, a mixture of downright fury, shock, and confusion on her face.

She sat down heavily at her desk.

"Go. Just go!"

We ran for it. Or at least I didn't stop running. Sirius did.

He caught my arm as we turned a corner on the fourth floor. I skidded to a halt and backed up against the wall, feeling something digging into my back as he grabbed my arm.

A door knob. Hopefully leading to some crowded place where I could escape Sirius Black.

And my confused heart.

"Twinkle, " His voice was soft and low. How could I never have noticed how good it sounded when he said my nickname. Not teasing, just affectionate. "Go out with me?"

What the hell? It was Christmas Eve and the attachment charm was broken.

Anything was possible.

"Yes!"

I turned the door knob behind me and we tumbled into the deserted broom closet behind it.

And I'm not going to tell you what kissing Sirius Black was like, partly because by that time my brain had shut down completely making think impossible, and partly because, well...

I can have my secrets too right?


	20. shirts, gossip and second base?

The news that Sirius Orion Black and Artemis Isabella Di Angelo were dating took, maybe, 5 minutes to get the entire way around the school. I'm not even sure how anyone found out- no scrap that, I know exactly how.

While Sirius and I were...Otherwise occupied in our Fourth floor broom cupboard the door had swung open and Sarah Briggs had walked in, yanking the boyfriend of today behind her. The name sound familiar? Course it does. Everybody I'd like to introduce you to Charles Briggs little sister. And I mean little in the loosest sense of the word. Apart from here brain, (which you need a microscope to see) she's big, big hair, big chest, big ego, big mouth. It's not that I don't like her or that she's a bitch or anything, she just has the loosest hinged mouth ever.

She stared at us for about 30 seconds before saying, "You, " she pointed at me, "And you" now at Sirius, "Together?"

"No, " I snapped sarcastically, "We just decided to make out in some random broom cupboard for a potions experiment!"

Behind me Sirius snorted and pulled his shirt back on.

Sarah looked discombobulated, "I didn't realise we had potion homework."

The boy she was with tugged at her arm and said, "Sar, Sar, You don't _do_ potions."

Her confused expression lifted and she smiled, " Oh yeah, I don't. Anyway, don't worry guys. You're secrets safe with me!"

Yeah right, safe to spread it around the entire school in less than 10 minutes.

I almost admired her, she was fast. I'd ended up losing 5 galleons to Sirius (serves me right for gambling) because I'd bet that we would have made it at least up to the common room before being ambushed.

I was wrong

We barely made it up two more floors.

We'd both been dragged off to our respecting dormitories for interrogation.

*Bangs head repeatedly against the wall at the mere memory*

You can just picture the scene, me tied to my bed, lamp shining brightly in my eyes, Jazz, armed with every torture item known to women, including hair curlers and mascara, threatening to give me a makeover if I didn't tell her exactly what I'd been doing, Lily just staring at me dumbfounded from here bed, so shocked that she couldn't even pick up a book, etcetera etcetera.

And as their screaming was long, loud and very painful I shall abridge it slightly to save your ears.

Jazz: How DARE you not tell us you were dating!

(I try to speak but Max just shouts over the top)

Max: We're SUPPOSTED to be your FRIENDS!

(I try to speak again but this time it's Lily who interrupts)

Lily: I'm your BEST friends, you DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO SAY YOU WERE SHAGGING SIRIUS FLAMING BLACK IN A BROOM CUPBOARD!

Me (finally managing to get a word in edgeways): WE WEREN'T SHAGGING!

Jazz: It DAMN WELL LOOKED LIKE IT!

Me: YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE!

Jazz: And?

Me: It wasn't exactly shagging, it was more like...second base.

Lily: How long have you been dating?

Me: Erm, about 40 minutes?

Jazz: And you got to second base in 40 minutes, that's fast.

Me: it wasn't like that. He didn't... (I trailed off and gestured towards my chest)

Lily: Oh, that's okay then.

Max: OKAY? HE HAD HIS SHIRT OFF!

Lily: But she didn't.

Me: Lily, you know I love you and everything, but you're not making this any better.

Lily: MY BEST FRIEND HAS BEEN CAUGHT SHAGGING IN A BROOM CUPBOARD WITH THE ENEMY-

Me: FOR THE LAST FRICKING TIME, WE. WEREN'T. SHAGGING!

Alice: If she says they weren't shagging, then they weren't shagging.

Me: thank you Alice, finally someone on my side.

Alice: But I do think you're going way too fast, me and Frank didn't get to second base for at least a month.

Me: WE WEREN'T AT SECOND BASE!

(random voice from the common room drifted up the stairs)

"Will you SHUT THE HELL UP in there, some of us are trying to make out in peace and quiet and I DO NOT need to know about your SEX LIFE!"

Me: thanks a bunch you guys.

EITD: (Everybody In The Dorm) Your welcome.

Me: I meant that sarcastically.

EITD: we know.


	21. A memory, love, and bathed in moonlight

**Sorry for the really long wait but as any of you who have checked my profile will know, I was in SWEDEN! On a sailing holiday. But as I flew in yesterday I figure I should put up another chapter to apologise for the wait.**

**Someone PM'ed me to ask whether this fic was finished yet and it IS NOT! Don't worry, there's the rest of their seventh year and beyond to write about yet**

**Don't forget to review.**

That night, that of Christmas Eve, I couldn't sleep. I don't know if it was the shock of finding myself actually dating Sirius Black, (something I'd sworn never to do) or that I was still trembling from my interrogation (which had gone on for hours) or that I missed Sirius's and my witty banter late into the night that I had become accustomed to (like one becomes accustomed to torture each night and actually bonds with their kidnapper) but I just lay awake, tossing and turning well into the night before Jazz finally lobbed a pillow at me and hissed that 'I had better quit the wriggling before she quit it for me.' So I lay there, not daring to move (Jazz would certainly follow up her threat) when I heard it.

A clatter.

I wondered vaguely if Lizzie's owl had got shut out again and sloped over to the window, opening it. I leaned out and swallowed a swear word as something hit me straight between the eyes.

"OUCH!"

"Awh, sugar! You OK Twink?"

I would be Sirius wouldn't it.

"No I am damn well not OK. What the hell are you doing here? And what the hell is THAT!"

THAT turned out to be a huge, black, flying muggle motorbike.

Sirius looked so proud of it, like a parent when their child says it's first word.

Do Muggle motorbikes even fly?

"Do Muggle motorbikes even fly?"

"Jump on and I'll explain later,"

I shrank back, "NO WAY!"

"Why not, don't you trust me?"

"Of course I don't, the last time I trusted you, you got me so drunk you had to carry me back to Gryffindor Tower. And the time before that you got us stuck together, and the time before that-"

He threw up his hands in surrender, "Thou wounds me fair lady! Are you coming or not?"

I rolled my eyes, "Hang on," and disappeared back into my dormitory to get changed. I cannot believe I am doing this I thought, Sirius's hair brained schemes always were dangerous (just look at what happened last time) had terrible consequences and were the most exciting thing I had ever done.

So I guess that's why, five minutes later, I clambered onto the back of the bike, rapped my arms around his stomach and let adventure, in the form of my boyfriend, take me wherever it wanted to go.

What can I say? Some of his insanity was bound to rub off in me right?

After a few minutes of soaring across the sky I finally got the courage to peel open my eyes and took a quick glance down, gulped and immediately wished I hadn't. I'm not good with heights. Not good with heights as in 'DearGodi'mbeggingyouletmedownbeforei'msick' type not good. And then Sirius had to yank the handlebars down almost vertically and hit the accelerator _again _so we were plummeting towards the very hard looking ground at breakneck (most likely my neck) speed.

I screamed then, as the ground hit the bike (or was it the other way round?) I tumbled of and staggered across to the nearest tree throwing my arms around it's gnarled trunk and sinking to the ground.

Sirius laughed at me.

My boyfriend is very unfeeling sometimes.

"You are never..." I gasped out, still clinging to my tree, "getting my on that ruddy thing ever ever EVER again!"

"How are you going to get back to the castle then?"

Sometimes I really hate my boyfriend.

I folded my arms across my chest and scowled. He smiled at me and swung his leg over the bike's seat, crouching down beside me.

"Come on."

I let him pull me to my feet, I let him lead me up a small grassy hillock, I let him hold my hand because really I couldn't do anything else. What he was showing me was to beautiful to think of such earthly matters.

We stood together on top of the hill overlooking the lake, the crescent moon shining over the glistening water, snowflakes drifting around us on dancing wings. Strange music was drifting up from beneath the waters, beautiful, haunting, familiar. A single bubble drifted towards me and for a second I saw my father's face, pale, reflected on its surface.

And then it was gone, drifting away, a memory I would never know. And it was just me and Sirius. Alone, on Christmas Eve. At Hogwarts.

"Happy Christmas Arty" He whispered and pulled me close. We sat there on that hill, bathed in moonlight and the merfolk's song and each other's arms.

And truly, I felt I belonged.


	22. Motorbikes Alice and disturbing thoughts

**As always I own nothing. Poor me! Boo hoo Please review**

I woke up the next morning with my left side pressed up against something warm and comfortable and the other lying on something hard lumpy and above all, freezing. I cracked one eye and saw something blue dancing around in front of me. I shut the eye. I didn't need to see a semi naked Peter dancing around in the snow, last time was bad enough (don't ask).

Then I remembered where I was and sat up so hard I cracked my head on an overhanging tree branch that had obviously been put there so I could give myself a serious brain injury. This is definitely NOT how Christmas morning is supposed to work.

"Oi! Get up, it's Christmas!" I poked Sirius, the warm and comfortable something I'd been lying against, in the stomach and conjured a small glass vial which I scooped the blue dancing flames, that was not a freezing semi-naked Peter doing the jitterbug in the snow, (Phew!) into.

Sirius cracked an eye, moaned in pain then closed it again. Though the moan of pain may have been due to the fact that I had poked him in the eye at the exact same time.

"You are lethal, you know that. Every time I ever see you I get hurt! You knee me, you poke me, you punch me. What have I done to deserve such a violent girlfriend."

"Get me stuck to you because you didn't read the potions ingredients properly."

"That'll do it every time." He rolled onto his stomach and crawled into a kneeling position, massaging his stiff back in the manner a ninety year old Muggle might. I rolled my eyes, what a drama queen.

"Degrumor" I brandished my wand at him and there was a sickening snap. He screamed and leapt to his feet.

"I rest my case. I. Get. Hurt!"

"Oh stop moaning, I got rid of the stiff back for you didn't I?"

He just looked at me.

I don't know why I bother sometimes.

I really don't.

He just looked at me some more then grinned evilly. "You're gonna have to go back on the bike to get back up to Gryffindor Tower." He then proceeded to laugh at me uproariously and most unfeelingly. I HATE heights.

"I'm going via the stairs"

He yanked the bike up and swung a leg over, revving up the engine.

"It amazes me how you didn't wake anyone up with that thing last night. It's loud enough to be heard from the other side of Hogsmede."

"Silencing Charm."

"Oh...I'm still going by stairs!" I warned, turning towards the Entrance Hall at the other end of the grounds. Then stopped and swung round.

"Where do you keep it?"

He smirked, like usual, "Room of Requirements ."

"What?"

"The place where we played Truth or Dare."

"You mean the place where you blackmailed me into playing _strip_ Truth or Dare and succeeded in getting me so drunk you had to carry me back to Gryffindor Tower in my UNDERWEAR!"

He winced. "Do you have to keep going on about that?"

"Yes"

"Fair enough. I would too."

"So what 's the Room of Requirements?"

"It's also known as the Come and Go room."

"You delight in speaking in riddles don't you?"

"Yep, it annoys you which is always a bonus."

"Oh Shut up and speak English!"

"To hear is to obey. In English then. The Room of Requirements is anything you need it to be. You just have to ask. I've been storing my motorbike in a workshop in there all year, fixing it so it'll fly."

"And why would you want it to fly?"

"It's a talking point isn't it?"

He gunned the engine and rose into the air. I set off towards the castle. Two seconds later I was flying through the air.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU I WASN'T GOING BACK ON THAT THING!"

"You love it really."

I didn't answer that because I was too busy keeping my eyes firmly closed and my stomach out of my throat.

When we finally got to my window I collapsed through it clinging to my bed post.

"You are never..." I gasped out, still clinging to my bedpost, "getting my on that ruddy thing ever ever, EVER again!"

"Whoa, Déjà Vu, now where have I hear that before?"

"You do know I hate you don't you!"

"You love me really."

"Am I mad?"

He reached through the window and placed a hand on my forehead. "I'm afraid you are, insane, bonkers, round the twist. But I'll tell you something...All the best people are."

"Merry Christmas Sirius."

"Merry Christmas Twinkle."

**Please review. Did you get the Alice in Wonderland reference?**


	23. Cartoons, Kippers and frying eggs

**Again, sorry for the wait, been on holiday in Norfolk this time. But I've been busy writing and here's the chapter.**

**Please review!**

I glanced at my watch as I bumped my way back to my bed, half five. Ow! I was so engrossed in the 'Not waking everyone up and causing an international incident which I would probably not come out of alive or at least with all my limbs intact' that I failed to see the large pile of glossy parcels at the foot of my bed.

I walked straight into it. Something went clang, I swore, stepped back into another heap of parcels, which also went clang. Then, I kid you not, they began to fall, cartoon style, knocking into another pile, then another, then another. Louder than anything I'd heard. Frankly a herd of elephants could have been quieter.

Twenty minutes later when my so called friends had finished beating me around the head with a variety of pillows, duvets and odd socks they finally collapsed onto their respective bed, giggling, and attacked their piles of parcels.

I ripped the brightly coloured paper of on a newest of charcoal pencils (mum and her boyfriend Martin) make up (the dangerous kind (Jazz)) a copy of 1001 magical water species of England and Scotland (Alice) a new Gryffindor Quidditch scarf (Max) a election of Honeyduke's finest (Lizzie) the latest copy of a magical murder mystery series by K. I. Dnapp that I liked (Lily) and an automatic coffee maker that seemed to be able to read my mind for when I desperately needed coffee (Sirius).

I opened a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and offered them to Jazz. She took one then gagged and dry swallowed a few times.

"Sprouts!" She gasped, after the offending article had been thrown out of the window to land on some poor unsuspecting first year's head.

Lilt burst into tears.

Jazz looked confused. "It wasn't that bad….Well it was but not enough to cry about, actually maybe-"

Max sent her a 'stop talking now and shut your mouth before I shut it for you' look. I walked across to Lily's bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and easing the piece of crumbled parchment out of her clenched hands.

It was dated Christmas Eve

_Dear Lily _ It read

_How are you darling? Enjoying Christmas? It would have been lovely to see you but I'm sure you would have much preferred to stay at school, being your last year at Hogwarts and all. _

_As you probably know, (I'm sure you and Tuney are regular correspondents)that she's set the date of her wedding for the 4__th__ of June. I've tried to persuade her to move it back about month so it'll be in your holidays but I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will allow you to come home for a weekend._

_Has she asked you to be her maid of honour yet? _

_Your father and I still think she's very young to be marrying but she does seem very much in love with Vernon and at nineteen she is old enough to make her own decisions. _

_We're empty nesters now with Tuney getting married and you almost a completely qualified witch._

_Has Tuney mentioned-_

The rest of the letter was illegible, blurred from her tears and apparently I wasn't the only one to be slightly confused.

"But that's good right?" Max looked discombobulated.

Lily hiccupped and looked up. "I-I haven't h-h-heard from T-Tuney since l-l-l-last summer. I didn't even k-k-know she was engaged.

"She's a bitch!" eloquent as always Jazz.

Lily started to leak again, "She's my sister."

"She's still a bitch!"

"Yeah, witch!" added Max.

"She wishes." I grinned at Lily who gave a watery smile. I levered her to her feet. "Come on, lets go and get some breakfast."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Because of the mandatory ball, every one who was taking Muggle Studies at NEWT level was crowded into the Great Hall for breakfast. However almost everyone who didn't take it had had the sense to decamp off home for the holidays. All the Slytherins (thankfully) had seemed to think it was their duty as blood racists to run off rather than have to stomach anything remotely Muggle related. The only exception here was Snape who was sitting alone, his nose in a book.

Of the Ravenclaws the entire house was there because, frankly, that's what Ravenclaws did. Mainly they were reading the new very heavy books they had just been given for Christmas, playing frightfully complicated games of wizard chess with their new sets or discussing politics, policies that the Minister of Magic had recently brought in to try and protect the wizarding community against U Know Who.

Of the Hufflepuff's around half were seated at their table, laughing and eating.

And of us brave lions we were, alas, sadly depleted, comprising of a single knot of third years, a couple of sixth years. And US

US meaning all the awesome and incredibly good looking, intelligent seventh years.

I looked up as the post came, the usual last minute presents and cards from disorganised friends and family (I was always surprised my mother remembered Christmas at all, she's really _really_ disorganised) when a large school screech owl landed in front of me. I unrolled the piece of parchment and stole some bacon from Sirius's plate (he mock scowled and picked up his plate, hiding it behind his back.)

_Darling, _it read

_Just a quick note as I've only just found out. Well that's not completely true, I've known for about two months now but wanted to be absolutely certain before I wrote to you. You know I skip months here and there such a lot but it turns out..._

_I'm pregnant!_

_Martin and I have decided in light of this to move the wedding date forwards to Easter so you can be there. Oh, I'm so happy darling you wouldn't believe. Will you be my maid of honour?_

_Lily must come of course and any of your other friends are welcome. _

_Merry Christmas!_

_A June baby, imagine that!_

_Lots and lots and lots of love to my favourite and only daughter._

_Mum XXXX _

"Merlin's PANTS!" I yelled out and promptly fell off the bench I was sitting. Every head in the Hall turned towards me. I flushed pink and waved a hand over my head and said weakly, "Carry on people."

They just stared harder until Lily stood up and shouted "ARE YOU LOT DEAF? CARRY ON PEOPLE!" Immediately everyone turned back to their breakfast. Even the teachers.

Lily wasn't made Head Girl for nothing you know.

She then sat back down and hauled my back onto the bench as my ever so sensitive to the needs of other boyfriend just laughed and laughed and laughed at me.

Jazz raised an eyebrow at me.

"MY MOTHER IS PREGNANT!"

My bellow travelled around the Great Hall again and every one stared at me again. Any one for fried eggs? You could do them on my face

Lily drew her wand, "Do I Have To Tell You _AGAIN?_" Everyone cowered under her wroth and buried their heads in their kippers or sausages.

"Is that all?" Of course that would be Jazz

"BY MARTIN!" No one dared risk Lily's anger by turning around this time.

"Ok, I take it back. That's big." See, jazz understands the enormity of the situation.

Alice cooed, "When's it due? Girl or boy? Are they getting married? When and-"

Sirius cut in her tirade of questions which I was very thankful about as I couldn't remember the first one. "Who's Martin?"

Lizzie piped in here, "Her Mum's long term boyfriend. The first one since her dad died."

Max had snatched the letter out of my hand, " They're getting married in Easter."

Meanwhile I was worrying about more pressing things, "Maid of Honour? In a dress? And HIGH HEELS? I'm gonna kill myself! How DO YOU WALK IN THOSE THINGS?"

"Twinkle in a dress. That I _have _ to see!"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "The baby's due Jun-ish time."

"June?" I could see even Sirius could add up to nine. What amazing powers of deduction he possessed.

"Apparently she only just found out."

"Errrrm. Right"

"She's a metamorphmagus. What can you expect?"

Sirius looked way out of his league.

"Drop it, " advised Alice, "It's a girl thing."

Sirius, twenty minutes of baby talk later, finally cracked and said, "Fascinating as all this baby stuff is can we _please _ get going? I want to have a snowball fight before lunch."

I kissed him on the cheek (everyone else made pointed look-the-other-way faces or fake vomited.)

"Whatever you want honey, it is Christmas. You've been a good boy all year, you're allowed a treat."

"Thanks." He said sarcastically.

"You're welcome." I said sweetly.

"I meant that sarcastically."

"I know."

00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It's a good thing you're so patient with all the baby talk. I said to Sirius and James as we strolled down into the grounds a few minutes later for the snowball fight.

"Why's that?"

"Because you're both coming to mine over Easter and no-one will be talking of anything else."

Sirius groaned.


	24. Martin, Memorizing and Comic Relief

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and as always I own nothing but the plot and a few of the characters.**

" Do you get on with Martin?" Sirius asked me presently.

I nodded. " I guess. Why?"

"It's just you never mentioned him." He pulled his wet sweater over his head (one of the perks of being his girlfriend- I could legally ogle his chest whenever I wanted) and shook the last of the snow from his hair.

We were in the boys dormitory after a narrow defeat down by the Forbidden Forest where James, Jazz and Max had pelted Hagrid's front door with so many snowballs that he'd chased us all the way back up to the castle lobbing snowballs the size of dustbins at us.

"It's not that we don't get on, in fact we get on really well, not that I see him that much. It's more that I've had my mother pretty much to myself my entire life and now I don't want to share."

"What's your mum like?"

"She's amazing! She works for an aqua-magi zoologist magazine. That's how she met my dad, he was a professional diver, worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry. I was home schooled before I came to Hogwarts so we were always travelling, all over the world. Mer conferences in the Amazon, the Med to see Sea Serpents. the Atlantic to look at Shrakes, Indian Ocean for Ramoras. Plimpies in the Highlands of Scotland, the Mackled Malacaw on the coastlines of Europe. Lobalugs at the bottom of the North Sea, Hippocampus in Greece. Kappa, Kelp, Gringylows.1"

"Whoa." He reached over and pulled my into his arms, "And what's Martin like?"

"He's a muggle. But his sister was a Muggleborn witch so he knows about Hogwarts."

He kissed my neck, "What about your parents?" I asked. He shrugged and kissed up behind my ear.

"I moved out last year."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"That depends."

He sighed and removed his face. "I moved out because I didn't agree with their ideal, their blood racists comments and because I refused to join the Deatheaters. I live at James's in the holidays now. I'm looking for my own place for when I start Auror training but I'm always welcome for Sunday lunch."

He smiled at me and kissed my nose. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck, pecking him once, then twice on the lips.

"James says: 'OI! Are you lovebirds gonna stay up here all day or are you coming down for lunch?'"

"Okay, okay Pete, Keep your hair on. You can tell him we're coming."

Pete diligently memorized the message and trotted towards the stairs. Sirius kissed my forehead and wrapped his fingers around mine. I smiled soppily back at him (man I had it bad) and was about to kiss him again when there was a clack of heels from the doorway and Jazz poked her head around the door.

"Sirius-James says 'If you don't stop chewing on Arty's face and get your sorry butt down here this second he's going to dismember you from the Marauders and surgically remove you from her with a hacksaw.' Remus says ' I am attempting to stop Prongs from attacking you with a hacksaw but you better hurry up before he over powers me and tears my new copy of Hogwarts: a History in half out of frustration.' Peter says 'If it's okay with you Sirius can i go down to the Great Hall or all the food will be gone.' Arty- Lily says 'You need to get down here quickly before James destroys an innocent book.' Max says 'Get your sorrow arse down here before I come up there with a beaters bat.' Lizzie says 'Please save the book, it's Hogwart's: A History!'"

She finally paused to breathe.

"And what about Frank and Alice?" I asked.

"They're too busy chewing on each other's faces to care about a book, even if it _is_ Hogwarts: A History."

"And what do you say?"

"I say I couldn't care less about your snogging habits and I think you're both old enough to make out with each other if you want too."

"That's big of you."

"Are you coming or not?"

"I thought you didn't care?"

"Did I say that?"

"Yes."

Sirius cut in then, pulling me towards the door.

"Erm, Sirius. Charming as I find your chest I don't want the whole female population of Hogwarts ogling it."

"Jealous Twink?"

"Yes."

And with that I threw a shirt at him, linked arms with Jazz and walked out of the room.

**1 ****All of these aqua magi- creatures can be found in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, available from all good bookstores now for only 14 sickles and 3 knuts (£2:50)**

**Some of the money will go towards comic relief which fights poverty with laughter. Since the start of its campaign it has raised 174 million pounds (34,872 galleons 14 sickles and 7 knuts) to help impoverished children across the globe.**


	25. Dresses, Headaches and Inherited Genes?

"What are we doing here again?" I moaned. It was sleeting, the day of the ball, Christmas was over and I was depressed.

Stupid Muggle Studies!

Sirius beamed at me like a toddler on sugar rush (so like normal really) and held up two broomsticks.

"No. No way. No no no no no NONONONONNONONONONONONO. No! I HATE heights!"

"Ah. Come on Twink. Flying is the best thing since chocolate frogs."

"Chocolate Frogs are better."

"No they're not. Well maybe-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, much to embarrassment. Sirius had used my momentarily lapse of concentration to seize my waist, dump me on the broomstick behind him and kick off.

I shut my eyes tight and screamed louder. "PUT ME DOWN!"

He completely ignored me (of course) and rose about another ten feet. I was chanting PleaseMerlinI'mbeggingyoudon'tletmebesick over and over inside my head.

And I'd thought the motorbike had been bad enough.

I think he must have thought as the screaming had stopped that I was enjoying myself because he yelled over the rushing wind, sleet and was that thunder?

"What are you feeling?"

"The wind, the cold and the bile slowly quickly rising in my stomach!" I yelled back

"Is that all?"

He sounded disappointed.

"I didn't think you wanted the full story of how my intestines are feeling."

"If you're gonna be sick do it on a Slytherins head and not on this jacket- It's new."

I would of hit him if I could have summoned the courage to open my eyes and un-weld my arm from him.

"Prat!"

"Do you really don't like it?"

"NO YOU FLAMING IDIOT I DON'T!"

"Oh. Well, all I can say is my kids better inherit my flying skills not yours."

Did he just say that?

But my trial was not yet over. The second we hit the ground an irate Jazz stormed over practically breathing fire and yelled, "Where the hell were you?"

"You do not want to know."

"It doesn't matter anyway, we need to get ready for the ball!"

"We need three hours?"

"Yes. And it's only two and a half now. Get a move on!"

"Why all we need to do is shower and stick on a dress. It's not rocket science."

"We need to do way more than that and what's a rocket?"

"It's- Never mind."

Martin is obsessed with Muggle science.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o**

The 'way more than that' turned out to be two and a bit solid hours of primping.

Painful primping.

Jazz sounded like she was being tortured as she preformed the waxing charm on her legs, Alice was almost crying in exasperation as every time she got close to finishing Lizzie's manicure she would wriggle her hand out of her grip and change the song on the portable wireless by her bed. Lizzie was completely oblivious to this, more focused on the fact that Max was singing very loudly and very off key in the shower in the next room causing her to physically wince in agony every time she hit a high note. I was wondering if I could get away with wearing my converses under my stupid dress and Lily was reading.

As normal.

I have no idea how she can concentrate on a novel with all the screaming/ wailing/ crying/ music (is there a difference?) but then she had had six years of practise.

The wailing from the shower stopped then and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Max appeared and I ran for the door, locking it behind me. I stepped into the hot water and let it pound my head and neck, trying, unsuccessfully, to fend off the head ache that was aching just behind my eyeballs. I love my friends and everything but they can be just too much. And in Jazz's case, completely overpowering.

When, almost thirty minutes, five normal (Lizzie (Lily had had the sense to get ready earlier), twelve medium (Alice who had been too busy with Frank to remember the time) and thirty-six yells (can't you guess?) to hurry up later I emerged and yanked on my dress. The headache was building and I felt worse than crap. It felt like a rabid niffler was trying to dig for buried treasure in my skull.

Lily looked at me sympathetically, then pointed her wand at my forehead and said, "Imuscchekaputem" and the head ache lifted almost immediately. However the shriek that came from Jazz almost two whole seconds later was almost piercing enough to kill my ear drums. I swear if Jazz was a Muggle she would be one of those cheerleader/ scream when you see a spider/ bubbly girls who can kill someone's hearing with one scream

I couldn't wait for this to end.

Seriously I couldn't.

At around ten minutes to eight Jazz seized Max's arm and dragged her out of the room, hastily followed by Alice (who looked so incredibly happy- though that could of been Frank who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs which a bunch of red roses. Tacky I know but sweet none the less) and Lizzie who looked simply radiant.

I half smiled at Lily who rolled her eyes in return as she stuffed her novel into a pocket on the inside of her dress. (Her costume was not, thankfully, sea shells and a tail but her simple dress as a human)

She then stood up and wrapped her arm through mine.

"Time to face the music."

I scrunched up my face and scowled, then pointed my wand at the coffee maker by my bed.

Lily raised her eyebrows but I defended myself, saying, "I am going to go through hell tonight. I'm not allowed to wear my converses and am in a dress. The very least I can do is have some coffee."

I swear Lily rolled her eyes again but I didn't care. Call me addicted but if I had a cup of coffee the whole world would seem a little bit better.

Though maybe not the dress part.


	26. Snow, dancing and babies on the brain

**I'm so sorry for the long wait. A mixture of writer's block, GCSE's homework and air cadets and I haven't had time to breathe let alone write. But that is no excuse so here's the chapter you've all been waiting for (i hope at any rate)**

**:) Don't forget those reviews**

"Do you ever get the feeling that our lives are really being written into a story by some angsty hormonal teenager who just wants to get a laugh at our expense?" Lily merely stared at me like I'd grown another head (she's very good at that look) then glanced over at Sirius, smiling mischievously. The last time I'd seen Sirius he was being dragged off onto the dance floor by a vaguely familiar looking sixth year girl, Irene Pigdon, I think, and that had been over twenty minutes ago. He was still there now and was shooting me looks that I could plainly read as 'Get me out of here, please I'm begging you!' I tipped my head to one side and pretended to look confused. He mouthed something about rescuing him and I smiled sweetly back at him before walking off with Lily who was laughing her head off.

I had to admit, this wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would have been. The Great Hall looked amazing! The house tables had been pushed back against the walls and covered in food, buffet style. All the Christmas decorations were still up, including the twelve huge Christmas trees fluttering with live fairies. The ceiling was a light grey and snow was drifting down in swirling white pillars, evaporating before it could touch the ground.

Beautiful.

Deceptive.

It could almost hide the war happening outside our isolated safe house, the darkness beginning to settle over the Wizarding World like a fine sea mist, impenetrable and swallowing. Full of shadows and murder.

Man that was deep for me.

Lily was staring at me, a half smile on her face. "Sorry. Just thinking."

Her face grew serious and she sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if life is meant to be like this. It's so safe here, like a bubble and yet every day the war gets worse."

I nodded and smiled slightly, biting on my lip. "This has to end sometime, or they'll be ruling a dead world." This wasn't the first, or the last I was sure, that we had had this conversation.

Lily suddenly laughed slightly, "This is a party, come on laugh! Smile, be happy. What will come will come. Now don't you think you ought to go and rescue that unfortunate boyfriend of yours?"

"No point now, " Came a sarcastic voice behind me and I sun around to see none other than Sirius standing behind me with James looking, frankly, gorgeous. "Prongs is obviously the only one who cared enough to rescue me from the dance floor. What does that say about my girlfriend?"

"That she's smart enough not to get involved in your battles. You're a big boy, you don't need me to help you go to the loo do you?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Dirty BOY! You know I didn't mean it like that!" Why was it that Sirius could beat me at verbal sparring. No one but Lily could beat me at word wars. But then Lily was always a special case.

I stared defiantly up at Sirius but ruined the effect by tripping over the hem of my stupid dress and collapsing into his arms like a sack of potatoes. Good job he's had so much practise with my clumsiness.

Lily cooed and dragged James off to do I don't know what, leaving me and Sirius standing awkwardly in the middle of the floor surrounded by the falling snow that was melting down the back off my neck.

"When do you think they'll just give it up and find a convenient broom cupboard?" I remarked as Lily wiped some snow off James's glasses and flushed slightly.

"Not soon enough for my taste."

"They're just so perfect together. And they can have cute little boys with Prong's hair and Lily's eyes and little red headed girls."

"You have babies on the brain."

"I'm gonna be a big sister soon and anyway, we can be godparents. You for their first boy and me for the first girl."

"And they can be called Sirius James and Twinkle Lily."

I elbowed him in the stomach and he smiled his heart breaker of a smile making my knees go weak. It was lucky I was still in his arms or I would've ended up on derrière which is never fun (believe me, it's happened enough times) not to mention humiliating.

"Wanna dance?"

"Huh?" I think I must have zoned out staring at his brilliantly white teeth and wondering what he did to them to get them that colour or if he was just a bloody lucky git.

Personally I think it's probably the latter.

"Want to dance?"

The truth is I can't walk down a straight corridor without falling over or banging into something so my dancing skills aren't exactly fantastic. More like non-existent.

"Errumermmaybei'mnotquitesure." I said, in a rush, the words tumbling over each other as they exited my all too big mouth.

"That's a yes."

I just like that he was steering me onto the crowded dance floor, placing his arms around my waist and pulling me close. This was a little distracting but I was more worried about the fact I was about to make the biggest fool of myself in living history. I can't dance.

Then we were dancing. Well Sirius was dancing. I was stumbling around trying not to trip over my stupid dress and even stupider feet. But then I felt his breath on my ear, so close he was almost kissing it. "Just go with it."

And so I did. I still might not be the best dancer in the entire wizarding world but now the difference was I didn't care. Because between the lines of a sweeping orchestra he kissed me and told me he loved me.

And I was on cloud nine.


	27. squid, squelch and squishy moments

**Sorry this is such a short chapter. Running out of inspiration (blame school, i always do) please let me know what you think!**

**R&R**

You can always tell it's the start of February at Hogwarts because four important things happen each year without fail.

Number one: The last of the snow disappears from the grounds to be replaced with biting winds and pouring rain.

Number 2: Peeves reverts back to throwing water bombs at small huddling first years instead of his more festive firecrackers.

Number 3: The Fat Lady finally gets over her two month long hangover from over indulging at Christmas and stops trying to give everyone ear damage by 'The power of my voice!'

Number 4: Sirius Orion Black gets a new girlfriend.

Except this year, he didn't.

Though how long that would last I wasn't quite sure.

We'd been going strong all through January but now as February dawned to bleak skies we were getting a little, well, rocky. We'd always argued a lot and it seemed that six years of almost constant bickering was too ingrained in our systems to stop now. I was surprised we'd made it this long without a massive bust up.

So now I was swimming along at the bottom of the lake trying unsuccessful to let my mind relax over today's petty argument (over my bloody nickname of all things) little knowing that things were going to get a lot more complicated.

I glanced at my magically waterproofed watch ( The Wizarding Sport Shop- The Time, No Matter What Dimension- available from Diagon Alley and Paris) groaned and kicked up, breaking the surface and pulling myself out of the cool water straight into the firing line of my irate boyfriend.

"Oh Shit!"

"Oh shit." He agreed.

"How long have you been there?" I demanded. This was the last thing I needed.

"Long enough."

"Oh."

Awkward!

We just looked at each other.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" He didn't sound angry now. More hurt and resentful. "Didn't you trust me enough to even think about letting me know you're not even fully human?"

"What's wrong with not being fully human?" I shot back, folding my arms over my chest. It was freezing. "So what I my dad's experiments gave me gillyweed for DNA? Remus Lupin is a werewolf. You're a bloody animagus! Where you ever going to tell me that in person?"

"How do you know about that?" He demanded, lowering his face so it was on the same level as mine.

"B-by accident, " I stuttered, I know he knows that his eyes always make me go squishy in the stomach department. "I was here and s-s-saw y-you head for t-the whomping willow. S-so I followed you because, well, you know..."

I trailed off and risked a glance up into those shining orbs. I seriously need to build an immunity system to them.

He just looked at me and I felt my face turning red. Red hot chilli pepper red. With extra salsa.#

There was an eruption of bubbles behind us, the dark water began to boil and the Giant Squid broke the surface. He took one look at us, said something that may or may not have been 'will you too just quit the noise and snog each other already' and drenched us both with water.

Sometimes I wonder if there is something seriously wrong with my fish translator.

I watched Sirius wipe water out of his eyes, cling despairingly to his hair for a second and pull a small fish out of one ear.

Then he looked at me and we both burst out laughing.


	28. Peeves, Peter and pots of panic

History of magic is the most boring, presumptuous piece of dragon dung I had ever had the misfortunate to experience! I was simultaneously doodling on the corner of my parchment, gazing out of the window, trying not to fall asleep and failing to stop Sirius tying the tips of my hair to the back of my chair.

I surreptitiously glanced up at Binns, wondering if he would even notice if I escorted the young mister Black out side for a good thrashing. Probably not but I couldn't take the risk. After all, the council for the society of the O.G.L.A.J.T.A.T.L.E.O.A.G.S.S. was meeting tonight and it was essential to the peace of mind for three people I was there.

The O.G.L.A.J.T.A.T.L.E.O.A.G.S.S. (while having an incredibly lengthy title) did actually correspond with an issue very close to my heart. Very close indeed.

The O.G.L.A.J.T.A.T.L.E.O.A.G.S.S. was actually short for: 'Operation Get Lily And James To Admit They Like Each Other And Go Snog Someplace.' (We were slightly drunk when we came up with the name.) and comprised of Remus, Sirius, Peter, Alice, Frank, Jazz, Max and myself. So basically all the seventh year Gryffindors minus Lils and Jamie boy.

I probably should have just said that in the first place.

I glanced at my watch and winced. We were only ten minutes in. I put my head on my arms and went to sleep.

_Fast forward the most boring fifty five minutes of my life. _

I was in a towering mood as I stumped back to Gryffindor Tower. The bell had woken me from my slumber and I had completely forgotten that my hair was lashed to the back of the chair. I had fought it for almost ten minutes (earning myself the loss of ten points from Gryffindor house because Bloody Binns apparently isn't quite so dopey when it comes to swearing in mermish) when I remembered that I was a witch and therefore could do magic.

One quick releasing charm later I'd found myself falling down two flights of stairs after they decided to take an unexpected trip to the third floor and made me drop all the heavy transfiguration books I'd been carrying around since first lesson this morning. A passing Slytherin had yelled 'Nice arse Beanpole!' and made a rude gesture as I sprinted for the Great Hall, scarlet with embarrassment.

And when I'd finally collapsed, gasping, into vacant sear there hadn't been any veggie curry left and I'd had to sit through Peter and Max's curry food fight while James Potter scoffed steak pie on my other side with the speed of a Muggle JCB.

When we'd finally decided to head for the tower I'd got to the Sixth Floor and realised I'd left the text books I'd been lugging around all day in the Great Hall and had to double back only to run into Peeves who had set my skirt on fire.

I'd stuffed some bogie flavoured Bertie Botts up his nose and tried to take a short cut back to the Common Room the short cut had decided to lead to the dungeons that day. There I'd been ambushed by a gang on Slytherins who had turned my hair green.

And to top it all off when I'd finally tumbled back to the safety of Gryffindor Tower and collapsed in a chair by the fire my boyfriend had not been sympathetic.

"Why didn't you just jinx them?" He demanded as Alice began the torturously slow process of de colouring my hair. (Lily and James having already departed for their rounds.)

"Because it was Runcorn and Avery and I don't care what you say I have no wish to end up with a pumpkin for a head."

He looked disgusted. "Where's your Gryffindor courage? What are you made of?"

I snorted, "I'm made of flesh and blood and I want to stay that way."

Lizzie, perhaps sensing an argument brewing, cleared her throat timidly and said: "I would like to call to order the Twelfth meeting for the Society for Operation Get Lily And James To Admit They Like Each Other And Go Snog Someplace, for short O.G.L.A.J.T.A.T.L.E.O.A.G.S.S. to order."

"We seriously need a new name. I mean, come on! What's short about O.G...L.A...t? Erm K. Whatever it is. I can't even remember it half the time!"

"Eloquent as always Jazz, " Remus smiled, "But true in essence. Why don't we call it Operation Potter Family because that's what we really want isn't it?"

Max pouted slight, "But the Society for Operation Get Lily And James To Admit They Like Each Other And Go Snog Someplace sounds so...so..."

"Stupid?" Supplied Sirius.

I hit him on the head.

"I was going to say serious and mystic but stupid fits just as well."

Remus cleared his throat. "So it's official. Operation renamed Operation P.F. Notion passed by majority vote."

"But we didn't vote."

"Details details." He waved an airy hand. "Besides we've wasted enough time on the name. We need ideas!"

"The other thing wrong with the first name was that James already knew that he was totally in love with Lily Flower so really we should have called it something like Wooing The Fair Maiden Lily Flower Into Submission And..." Sirius trailed off under the glare Remus was sending him. "Right, Ideas!"

These ideas ranged from simple, (lock them in a broom cupboard without their wands for four hours and hope no-one explodes anything) to full scale kidnap (Drugging Lily and stealing a thestral from the Forbidden Forest so James could don armour from one of the suits littered around the castle and 'Rescue his fair maiden from the clutches of the Evil Mr Giant Squid.)

"I HAVE IT! Eureka! Isn't that Muggles say nowadays? Why don't we pretend that someone who's close to Lily is desperately injured so in her grief and terror she turns to Prongs for help and guidance but falls in love with him instead. Then whoever is pretending to be desperately ill can make a full recovery and everything will be hunky dory!"

"Once again your brain power manages to astound me Jazz." Sirius said dryly. "But it could work…."

"But who would pretend to be sick?" I asked, "They'd have to be very convincing."

Eight heads turned towards me.

"Oh NO! NO WAY!"

"But you'd be so good at it!"

"No I wouldn't."

"Yes you would."

"No I wouldn't"

"Yes you would."

This continued for around fifteen minutes until I finally blew my head, tipped my half drunk cup of coffee over Peter's head and stalked out of the common room. Unfortunately Sirius decided to follow me.

"Running away?" He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled into me neck.

"No," I gasped, "Strategically retreating until they give up the idea."

He kisses my forehead, then gave me a longer smooch on the lips.

"You want what's best for Lily don't you?"

"Course, but not this way."

He kissed the tip of my nose, "You owe me big time too don't forget. Even if you don't want to do it for your best friend do it for me?"

"Fine, " I muttered sulkily, but then he kissed me again which was far more enjoyable.

And for both our sakes Lily I hope you end up with James.

Cos otherwise my so called friends are going to kill me.


	29. Where it all began

**Nice Long chapter here to make up for the wait. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. Most of this chapter will be flash backs like in HP and the Deathly Hallows, the chapter 'The Prince's Tale' my favourite chapter of the whole book. It's so sad! So I own nothing that appears in that chapter.**

**Let me know what you think! R&R **

_My dear, darling, friends allowed me to chose which lesson I wanted to mostly die in._

_I chose History of Magic._

_Wouldn't you?_

_They even made me help research the curse they were going to use to not-quite-kill me. The stupid thing was though that if they dunked me into a load of water I would heal myself of any of these 'diseases' of my own accord._

_So there I was, sitting in History of Magic, stealing furtive glances across at Sirius every few seconds so see when I was to be struck down by a not-quite-fatal disease and simultaneously wondering if Lily was actually going to be so prostrate with grief that she'd magically get over seven years of solid dislike._

_Some how I didn't think so._

_There was a shift of movement to my left, the raising of an arm, the muttering of a spell, the flash of light. I closed my eye waiting for the world to stop spinning, then I heard Lily's scream and everything went black…_

-1963-3-

The cottage was a white-washed, stooped backed, little thing, bending against the howling winds that so often swept inland during winter. There were shutters over each window, painted a cheerful blue, with sea roses growing in the window boxes. Sand was mixed in with the white wash, giving the paint a bumpy, textured feel and shells from the beach surrounding the cottage lined the porch like sentries.

The little girl was sitting on her porch step in the late autumn sunshine staring out at the incoming tide, occasionally rattling the strings of beads and shells that hung on vines, clanking slightly in the light breeze, with one grubby hand. Her chocolate brown hair was tied in a long braid down her back over a red t-shirt with a picture of a unicorn on the front and mud splattered blue shorts. Her feet were bare and covered in sand from a day on the beach and her warm brown eyes darted this way and that, seeing everything with that glowing innocence all children of that age have.

Arty, at just three years of age, was already in love with the sea.

-1964-4-

"And if you go slightly to the right and up you can see the Pole Star."

Arty gazed up at the glistening stars, thumb in mouth. Her mother, Meg, pointed up, past the Big Dipper and the slightly east of the North Star.

"That's Cassiopeia, then there's the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollex, and that's Aries. Those three faint stars there is Orion, who incidentally was Artemis the Huntress's favourite mortal in the old stories."

It was almost midnight and Arty had been asleep for almost five hours when Meg came in to wake her up, telling her to wrap up warm and come downstairs. Now they were lying in the sprigs of grass that grew part way down the beach, a little way away from the cottage. The beach was cold but the dancing blue flames that Meg had conjured warmed their cold skin.

"And those ones that curve around the Pole Star is Draco's tail and if you follow them round, look, there's his wings and that's his head and drop down there to the horizon and that's Hercules, the strongest of mortal men, who completed the legendary twelve labour in punishment for murdering his wife and children when he was driven mad by a jealous Hera, queen of the gods, after he was born to a mortal women and her husband Zeus."

"Tell me a story Mammy."

Meg rolled onto her side and looked at her little daughter.

"You need to get back to bed Sweetheart, I've got to head off to Romania tomorrow and you need to be awake for me to drop you off at my sisters."

Arty pouted and made her eyes go all big and round, "Please! Just one story!"

She poked her stomach and tickled her until Meg suddenly jumped to her feet, spinning Arty around like she was flying. Artemis let go of her hands at the height of the swing and quite literally soared a few metre before landing lightly on her feet and over balancing and landing on her bottom.

"Please, please, _please_ Mammy, one story!"

Meg caught her hand and pulled her to her feet, laughing slightly,

"Okay, okay, I surrender. Once, in a fertile land of olives and bees called Greece there was a goddess called Artemis who ruled over maidens and swore for all time never to love man. She was born of Zeus and Leto, a mortal, who gave birth to twins, Artemis, goddess of the moon, and Apollo, who shone like the sun and they became the hunters of the sky.

"Artemis begged her father Zeus for a companion and he sent her the Seven Nymphs to guard her and protect her, and to join her on her hunts. After many years a giant of a man was out in the woods were they lit their fire and saw the seven sisters and Artemis and came forth into the light. Artemis, fearing for her maidens, turned the seven into stars, where they clustered together in the sky, forever to be called the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. From the heavens they look down on maidens to offer them help and guidance and to light the way.

"The hunters name was Orion, a mortal, who became Artemis's hunting companion for all of his life. But Apollo, jealous of his sister's regard for this man, sent a giant scorpion to pierce him through his heart and though Artemis prayed to her uncle, Hades, for him to pardon the soul, Orion passed to the underworld.

"Artemis placed Orion's body among the stars as a tribute of friendship to the greatest mortal hunter she had ever known, and as a reminder that friendship can break all barriers, even one as big as man and goddess. But she also placed the scorpion in the heavens too, behind Orion, to serve as a warning to everyone under the heavens of the treachery of those who place themselves above love and are false, not only to their friends, but to themselves as well."

Meg looked down at Arty who was yawning and trying to hide it. It was obvious that she hadn't understood much of the story but that was alright, they had years ahead. And the stars would light the way.

-1965-5-

Early spring sunlight danced along the waves as Arty, now five lay in the sand with her mother, a picnic spread out between them.

"Mammy," She said suddenly, sitting up. The blond witch pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and smiled at her only daughter.

"Hhmm."

"Why do we live here? On our own. All that's here is sand and sea and gulls." She stuck her thumb into her mouth, gazing down at her mother.

"It's just easier not to live near other people Sweetie."

"Why?"

"Because we're special Arty, we're different. And some Mug- other people don't like different."

"Oh."

She was quiet for a time, then reached out and held her hand for her mother to take. She took it and pulled her back into the golden sand, smiling up at the sun and the circling gulls cawing their swooping sky-dance.

"Don't forget Sweetie there's Aunty Tía and Granny and Grandpa."

"Why do I always have to go to Aunty Tía's? Why can't I come with you?"

"Because I'm working Darling and I can't take you with me."

Arty scowled, yanking her palm out of her mother's one, and clambering to her feet, stalking off back up to the cottage without looking back. Meg di Angelo sighed and packed the picnic away with a flick of her wand, her blond hair turning slight grey with anxiety.

"Oh John," She sighed. "Why did you leave me?"

-1966-6-

"Arty, Ben's here."

Arty bobbed up from the sparkling waves at her mother's call, shaking the water from her long hair and swimming towards the shore. Ben was the youngest son of a Muggle family who were staying in a cottage nearby for the summer and they had become friends over the three weeks he had been here.

Her mother had taken her aside a few days before they arrived:

"Please Sweetie, while they're here, you've got to pretend we're ordinary. Like them. That means no extraordinary feats of magical powers. So no flying, no breathing underwater, no talking about quidditch, broomsticks or magic wands of any kind. Understood?"

Arty rolled her eyes. "Yes Mammy. I'm not stupid. Aunty Tía tells me that every time I go anywhere with her."

"It's worth remembering though."

"Yes Mammy."

"Good girl, now run off and play."

Arty had remembered it and Ben still had no idea that anything was special about his new play mate.

"Hello Arty." He said shyly when she met him half way up the beach a few minutes later. Ben was blonde curled, blue eyes with an upturned nose that was always running, even in summer.

"Hello Ben," She laughed slightly and grabbed his sweaty palms, pulling him into a run, making the seagulls caw indignantly and fly off into the sun, the sea splashed against their ankles and splattered their clothes but neither cared. It was hard to care in summer.

Meg stood with Ben's mother by the gate at the bottom of the cottages garden, watching them play.

"It's hard to watch them grow up isn't it." Mrs Peterson said, sensing the sadness around her friend.

Meg turned slightly, glancing out to sea. "I just wish her father could have been here to see her growing up."

"You still miss him?"

"I've missed him every day since he'd died and I'll carry on missing him until the moment I die too."

"It must be hard for you, living out here, just you and Arty."

"Yes and no, Sometimes I wish I could go back to living in London, with my friends from school, how it used to be and yet I could never leave here now either. And Arty would never leave, this is her home and to go from running wild to the busy streets of London would just kill her. But we get around a lot, with my job, so we meet lots of people."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a writer, but I also work for a zoology magazine, travelling round from country to country. When Arty was little she stayed with my sister but now I take her with me."

"Isn't that hard, taking her with you?"

"It's better than leaving her behind."

"I suppose."

They watched the pair rolling around in the sand, their echoing laughter reaching them from the shoreline.

"What do you do about school? I mean if you're always moving around."

"I home school her. She…She doesn't really fit in with other children. Stuff happens, other children don't see her as like them, probably because she is so different. I mean, how many children do you know that couldn't read or write 'til their sixth birthday but could name every star constellation in our milky way? She could swim before she could walk and we've never had electricity so she's never watched television or listened to the radio or used a dishwasher."

"You live without electricity?"

"Uhuh, we have a wireless and gas lamps. I write on a type writer that belonged to my mother."

Meg's hair lightened a few shades then reverted back to it's original shade when she scowled at it.

"Well, I'd better go, Michael's barbecuing tonight and I have to go shopping. Pick him up about four okay?"

"Sure that's okay. Have a nice time.

She pulled a face, "Shopping, oh the joy. See you later."

Meg watched her walk away, then sat down in the garden. Was she hurting Arty by staying here? She practically ran wild and she did little to stop her. Mrs Peterson hadn't said anything but it had been clear that she thought Arty's upbringing was a little unorthodox. No scratch that, a lot unorthodox. Oh john, she thought, for maybe the hundredth time that day, what should I do?

-1968-8-

"ARTY COME OUT OF THAT ROOM THIS INSTANT!"

"NO!"

"ARTY!"

"It wasn't my fault, they're all freaks, every one of them, they laugh at me and throw sticks at me and call me the freak but THEY'RE THE FREAKS!"

"Oh, Arty."

"I was scared and then the art trolley fell on one them and the paint grabbed them."

Meg sighed. She should have known that school would've have been a bad idea.

"Alohamora."

The door swung open to reveal a tearstained Arty who, when seeing the door was open, slipped through it and ran towards the kitchen and out the backdoor.

"ARTY COME BACK HERE!"

But she didn't answer so Meg followed her down the garden to where she was sitting on her swing, trying hard not to cry.

"Why did you make me go?"

"Because I thought you needed to be around other children."

"By sticking me in SCHOOL?"

"I thought it was best."

"NO, YOU JUST WANTED TO GET RID OF ME DIDN'T YOU? YOU NEVER WANTED ME, ALL YOU DO IS TALK TO DADDY AND WRITE. YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING WITH ME ANYMORE!"

"I never meant for you to feel that wa-"

"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD A PICNIC OR LOOKED AT THE STARS OR YOU TOLD ME A STORY?"

"I'm sorry but-"

"YOU NEVER WANTED ME!" Arty screamed at her, then, so suddenly it almost hurt, there was a tug in her stomach, just behind her naval and she was blasted back, landing on her back and elbows, the ten foot wide crater she'd just made ripping the garden in half.

One of her elbows was bleeding and she took one look at her mum's face and burst into tears.

-1969-9-

"And then he was all, like, blushing and-"

"Can a fish blush?" asked Arty. The gringylow looked slightly confused but carried on anyway.

"So I was all like 'I'm not just doing one date and-Hey! Where you going?"

"Sorry, gotta go, mum's there."

Arty kicked up and surfaced to see her mother standing with a mug of hot chocolate in each hand.

"Hello Sweetie, nice swim?"

Arty looked down at the crater she had created and then at the darting fish. Turning it into a pond was the best sorry present her mum had ever given her.

"Yeah, though Elsa ambushed me again."

" Is she still going on about Trevor?"

"Uhuh, so I asked if fish can blush and she sorta got really confused. It was quite funny really."

"You shouldn't tease her." Meg tried to sound firm but failed, breaking into smile. "Come on, lessons."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, be thankful I haven't stopped you swimming this winter, it's freezing!"

"Not for me it's not."

She kissed her forehead. "My little water baby. Now scoot!"

Arty saluted. "Aye Aye Captain!"

-1971-11-

"IT'S HERE!"

"What's here Sweetie."

Meg yawned and flicked her wand at the coffee pot which started brewing. Arty, in a too-short pair of tatty jeans and shirt which showed a gap of stomach from where it didn't quite fit after a sudden growth spurt adding a couple of inches to Arty's bony frame.

"MY LETTER!" Meg's eyes widened, "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards. Dear Miss Di Angelo, we are pleased to inform you that you have been ACCEPTED INTO HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY!" Arty was so excited she didn't notice her other wipe a single tear away from one eye.

-1971-11-

The first year stood slightly apart from her parents; obviously arguing with a slightly older girl with short blond hair while trying to hold back tears. A few paces away a young boy with greasy black hair stood with a sallow faced women who was scowling at an older couple hugging their son and trying to slip him last minute galleons. The swaggered slightly as he walked and looked well cared for despite the spellotape that was holding his round glasses together, making them slightly lopsided which seemed to add to his charm. His mother attempted to flatten his unruly hair one last time, then pecked him on the cheek as he bounded onto the Hogwarts Express.

Almost half way down the platform, hidden from the scowling women by the bustling crowds, softly hooting owls and mewling kittens Arty, now eleven, was sitting on the floor crying as blood ran down her shin from her scraped knee. Her mother sat down beside her and cast a healing charm before pulling her into hug, smoothing her hair and murmuring comforting words into her ear 'till Arty sat back with a hiccup, wiping a wrist across her eyes.

"Come on Sweetie, it'll be okay."

"I don't want to go, want to stay with you."

"Arty Sweetie, it's be fantastic. You have so much magic, just remember that hole."

Arty sniffed and clambered to her feet.

"Come on, let's go and find a compartment."

They walked along the platform, pushing the trolley between them and Meg loaded her daughter and her luggage into an empty compartment.

Steam billowed from the scarlet engine and Arty leaned out of the window waving until the train was out of sight, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening again.

There was a commotion outside her compartment and the door slid open to reveal a small boy in second hand school robes and a stunningly beautiful girl with a mane of scarlet hair. She too, looked s though she'd been crying.

"Can we come in please, everywhere else is full and the compartment we were in has just been invaded by gorillas."

"Sure," Arty managed a shaky smile, "I'm Arty."

"Lily, and this is Severus."

"Hello."

Arty looked back over to the boy but it was clear that he had no eyes but for Lily. His dark eyes filled with love, and maybe a little greed.

That couldn't end well.

-1971-11-

The stern faced Professor, McGonagall, picked up the Sorting Hat with one hand and read, "Di Angelo, Artemis' off the parchment from her other hand. Arty went slightly green and stumbled up the steps, sliding down onto the stool as the world was obscured by the over-large brim of the Hat.

"Hmm, difficult, more practical than academic, procrastinator?"

Arty nodded slightly.

"Not to worry, you're incredibly loyal so maybe Hufflepuff...But a non hard worker? No Hufflepuff doesn't fit, and neither does Ravenclaw. And Oooh, you're brave to carry that secret though there's nothing wrong with being a halfer...What about Slytherin?"

Arty shook her head so fast the Hat almost fell off.

"No? Slytherin's nothing to be ashamed of, your father was one...Your mother, the loyalist Gryffindor. I never would have expected that to work. But there you have it, anyway, Slytherin or Gryffindor?"

Arty thought of the moving photo of her father that was kept on her mother's dressing table. "Gryffindor."

"So be it...GRYFFINDOR!"

Arty clambered down off the stool and gave the hat back to the Professor who scanned down her list to the next name and called "Evans, Lily."

Arty watched her friend walk forward on trembling legs and sit down on the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the hat onto her head and barely a second after it touched the dark red hair the hat cried "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily took off the Hat, handed it back to Professor McGonagall, then hurried off towards the cheering Gryffindor, but as she went she glanced back at Snape, and there was a sad little smile on her face...

-1971-11-

"Hey, HEY LILY! WAIT UP!"

Lily glanced around from where she stood with Arty waiting for the Prefects to lead the first years to the dormitory after the welcome feast had finished and scowled slightly.

James was running towards them, the handsome boy from the train strolling behind him at a more leisurely pace, hands in pockets. A pale, slightly unwell looking boy with sandy coloured hair, was trailing slightly behind him, tucking a well thumbed book into a pocket in his robes.

Lily had met both James and Sirius on the train and recognised the third from the Sorting but Arty didn't recognise any of them so stopped, much to Lily's chagrin, though she seemed to recognise her mistake when she saw Lily's narrowed eyes.

"Hey!" Sirius leaned against a nearby pillar and looked at Arty while James, still panting slightly from his run, bent over, hands on his knees.

"Do I know you?" Arty raised her eyebrows.

"No, I guess, but you should, so here I am. Sirius Black, womanizer extraordinaire at your service!" He grabbed her hand and kissed it before she managed to snatch it away, blushing furiously.

Lily and James were already arguing and, unseen by either of them, Severus slipped up behind Lily, trying to pull her away.

"Snivillus!"

Severus threw Sirius a look of pure dislike and tugged Lily away. James grabbed her other hand and she lost her footing, landing on the floor, hair covering most of her face. Arty shoved Sirius in the stomach who fell back into Remus, who caught him and set him on his feet, sighing as if he could tell this was going to happen for most of the rest of his time at Hogwarts.

Both boys were staring at Lily, sitting on the floor. But, Arty noticed almost immediately, their expressions were almost comical in their sharp contrast. Severus's face showed desire, pure and plain, greed for the girl who sat in front of him, even at the childish age of eleven, his love for her in his own, extreme, way.

James's hazel eyes were twinkling as he reached down to pull Lily to her feet, the hand was refused, but his face was glowing with undisguised love. That couldn't end well, could it?

Arty elbowed the two boys out of the way and hauled Lily to her feet, before rejoining the trailing end of the line of first years heading for the staircases, leaving the four boys behind. But even so she wasn't fast enough to stop the drifting voice of the Potter boy reaching them.

"Merlin, she had nice legs."

Lily flushed bright red and Arty glanced behind her, catching sight of James and Sirius on the floor below. Sirius nodded and laughed slightly with his new best friend.

"Yeah," he agreed.

But he wasn't looking at Lily.

-1971-11-

It was almost midnight on a cool Saturday night in early October when Arty slipped out of the dormitory, making sure that the six first year inside were still asleep. After almost a month and a half of Hogwarts, Arty was almost being physically pulled towards the Black Lake. Used to being free to swim almost every day, Arty was finding the routine and schedule of following hundreds of other students around incredibly difficult but this was the first night she was actually going to break the rules.

She didn't notice as she slipped down the stairs that a wand was lit in the silent dorm behind her...

"So, " Lily asked, next morning , when Arty finally emerged from her bed around lunchtime. "Nice swim?"

"Uh?" Arty rubbed most of the sleep out of her eyes and tried to focus on her friend.

"Managed to get back okay then?"

"Wha-?"

"Oh, come on Arty, I'm not stupid, I know where you went last night."

Arty looked confused and still half asleep. "Las' nigh'. Last night? LAST NIGHT? Merlin's most baggy-sorry, I, em, can explain..."

"That is so amazing, I wish I could breathe underwater! Does anyone else know?"

"Just Professor Dumbledore...And you I guess now."

"Wish I could swim like that."

"No you don't. No you really don't."

-1973-13-

The newspaper was delivered by a screech owl who dropped the paper into Arty's coffee that morning.

'He Who Must Not Be Named Still Gathering Followers!' screamed the headline.

Arty scanned the first paragraph, then threw the paper to Lily who began to read it.

"An un-named witch and wizard found dead in their house in Bristol, source of death, Avada Kedavra. Dark mark set above house." Lily paused to read again.

"Oh how horrible, there was an attack on a family of Muggles down in Cornwall, the parents tried to protect their thirteen year old son and were tortured with the cruciatus. The boy was a tennis champion in the local region. The Muggle police think it was murder but have nothing to go on. Oh that poor kid."

"What was he called?"

Lily scanned down to the bottom of the page,

"Ben.

Ben Peterson."

-1974-14-

"Oh crap," Arty muttered as she hurriedly dived for the water as the footsteps echoed up from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She could just make out two figures in the distance and a lump, nearer to the ground. The first figure seemed to be leaning slightly against the latter and their voices drifted over the calm waves.

"That was so close, another few minutes and he would have seen Moony then who knows what would have happened?"

Another figure suddenly appeared from nowhere, almost growing from the ground.

"Hey, Prongs," the voice came again. "You gonna change back anytime soon?"

The three figures came closer, into a patch of dawn sunlight and Arty could just make out their faces. Very familiar face.

"I wasn't planning too but if you insist Pads." The lump near the ground had spoken but it wasn't a lump, now it was a tall boy of maybe fourteen with messy black hair, lopsided glasses and a cheeky expression that Arty knew only too well.

"James Potter." She breathed. Then sank another few inches into the water as he turned to look out over the water.

"Come on, we need to get Moony back to Madam Pomphrey without being seen, got the cloak James?"

"Of course." James produced a silvery sheet of cloth with a flourish and threw it over all four of them, obscuring them from Arty as the castle door opened, a small figure hurrying down the steps, leaving the light from the castle to light the way.

-1974-14-

Lily and Snape were walking across the castle courtyard, evidentially arguing while Arty stood a few paces away, doodling on an old piece of parchment while she waited for her friend.

"…Thought we were supposed to be friends?" Snape was saying, "Best friends."

"We _are_, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging around with! I'm sorry but I detest Avery and Mulciber! _Mulciber!_ What do you see in him, Sev? He's creepy! D'you know what he tried to do to Mary Mcdonald the other day? If Arty hadn't turned up that second she would have been in the Hospital Wing for a month!"

Lily had reached a pillar and leaned against it, looking up into the thin, sallow face.

"That was nothing," said Snape. "It was a laugh, that's all-"

"It was Dark Magic, and if you think that's funny-"

"What about that stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" demanded Snape, as Arty, sensing the argument was escalating, walked over. His colour rose again as he said it, unable, it seemed, to hold in his resentment .

"What's Potter got anything to do with it?" said Arty

"They sneak out at night. There's something weird about that Lupin. Where's he keep going?"

"He's ill," said Lily. "They say he's ill-"

Arty didn't say anything, but shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

"Every month at the full moon?"

"I know you're theory," said Lily, and she sounded cold. "Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?"

"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone thinks they are."

The intensity of his gave made her blush but Arty squared up to him, her bony legs making her tower above him.

"They don't use Dark Magic, though."

Lily lowered her voice, "I think you're being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You went sneaking down that tunnel by the Whomping Willow and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there-"

Snape's whole face contorted and he spluttered, "How did you find out about that?"

Lily betrayed herself by glancing slightly at Arty who went red.

"You've been sneaking around again haven't you? I'm gonna find out where you go-!"

Lily scowled, green eyes narrowed, "Leave her alone! James Potter did save you and you're just too-"

"Saved? Saved? You think he was playing the hero? He was saving his own neck and his friend's too! You're not going too- I wont let you-"

"_Let_ me? _Let_me?"

Lily's green eyes were slits. Snape backtracked at once.

"I didn't mean- I just don't want to see you made a fool of- he fancies you, James Potter fancies you!"

The words seemed wrenched from him against his will, "And he's not…Everyone thinks…Big Quidditch hero-" Snape's bitterness and dislike were rendering him incoherent, and Lily's eyebrows were travelling further and further up her forehead.

"I know James Potter's an arrogant toe rag," She said, cutting across Snape. "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber and Avery's sense of humour is just evil. _Evil_ Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

Arty glanced at Snape's face and doubted he had even heard Lily's strictures on Mulciber and Avery. The moment she had insulted James Potter his whole body had relaxed, and as Lily waved him goodbye and walked off with Arty there was a new spring in his step.

-1975-16-

The last of the sand in the tall hour glass in the Great Hall trickled out and the students began to steam out of their OWL into the summer sunshine. Beneath the beech tree sat the four Marauders, and a little way away, Snape.

Arty watched silently as James taunted Snape, not quite daring to stand up to him, even when Lily did. It made her feel guilty that she couldn't be brave enough to live up to her Gryffindor name and even more ashamed when she remembered what her mother always said, "That no-one person had the right to take away another's dignity."

But then she heard Snape snarl, in his humiliation and fury, that unforgivable word, _"Mudblood"_ she saw Lily's pain and any empathy she had had vanished like sand on a breeze.

-1975-16-

"It's okay Lily," Even though it wasn't. Lily hiccupped and fresh tears began to stream down her face. The girl's dormitory was deserted, everyone else still being outside enjoying the sunshine. Arty wrapped her arm around her friends shoulder and pulled her close, letting Lily just let it all out, all the pain and humiliation and betrayal.

Lily and Severus's relationship had always been complicated, most of her other friends couldn't understand why she ever even spoke to him, the greasy haired freak up to his long nose in the Dark Arts. But Arty knew better, she knew that Snape had been the first real friend Lily had had, that he was the one who made her feel different when her sister called her a freak, made her feel special in a world she didn't recognise at all.

And now, she thought dismally, you've gone and ruined it haven't you Snape, you've broken her heart and I will never, ever forgive you for that...

-1975-16-

"I hope you're happy." Arty spat, staring into the yellow face, "You've broken her heart with your stupid little stunt!"

"I never meant-"

"It doesn't matter what you say to me. I'll hate you for eternity for hurting her."

"But I-"

"I don't care! She trusted you, loved you like a brother," Arty saw pain flash across his face but it was quickly hidden by his usual curt blankness, "And you destroyed that."

"Please, " He begged, "Just ask her to come out her, I won't move 'til I see her. I'll even sleep here!"

Arty threw him a disgusted look and turned on her heel, trying to ignore the rising pity in her stomach, and walked though the portrait hole.

Lily was waiting behind it.

"Well?"

"He wants to see you. He's even threatening to sleep out there."

Lily swallowed slightly, then brushed past Arty to the portrait hole. Arty didn't say anything, just watched her go and settled down to wait.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry."

"Save your breath."

It was night time, Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, all vestiges of tears washed away, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

"I only came out here because Arty said you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just-"

"Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you, even Arty hates you, though she pretends otherwise. You and your precious little Deatheater friends- you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.

"I-" Her voice cracked slightly, but she shook back her hair and continued. "I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way and I've chosen mine."

"No- listen, I never meant-"

"-to call me Mudblood." The pain in Lily's voice was hidden by carefully applied contempt. "But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He struggled on the verge of speech but Lily was already turning away, back to her separate world, so different to his.

"I'm sorry Sev. I wish it could've been different, I really wish it could have been. "

She looked back at him one last time, eyes bright with tears, and lightly brushed her fingers across his cheek...And was gone.

Leaving Snape alone in the dark hallway.

Coulda...

Shoulda...

Woulda...

It was so easy in past tense.


	30. Secrets and confessions

Someone was breathing. Shallow and uneven, like they were trying not to cry.

"She'll be okay," I heard a soothing voice say. Then, "Come on, it's late. Let's get you back to the Tower."

I recognized that voice, the soothing one, as James's which meant the uneven breathing belonged to Lily.

"You coming Pads? Moony?"

I heard a scrape of a chair and footsteps but also Sirius's voice, "No, I think I'll stay here for a bit," and then Remus's, "She'll be okay."

Sirius didn't say anything and I could almost imagine James laying a comforting hand on his shoulder for a few seconds before there was a scrape of a chair and three sets of footsteps echoing away.

A few beats, then he picked up one of her sweaty palms, folding it in her own.

"Why aren't you waking up Arty?" He sighed, then reached up, trailing his fingers over my face, "What have I done to you. The book said you should have woken up days ago. Madam Pomphrey says you're completely fine but you don't hear me or see me or move, like you're in a really deep sleep or petrified. But I think she's wrong- I think you can hear me. So why don't you wake up?

" I feel so bad because this is all my fault isn't it. Because I tried to set my friends up only to lose another one."

It felt so strange, almost like flying through complete darkness. Hearing Sirius's words felt like they came from over a great distance, beyond the horizon so I could just make out his words but not see his face.

"If this was a Muggle fairy tale all I'd have to do would be kiss you and you'd wake up and we'd soar off into the sunset of my bike. Happy Ever After. The End. But life isn't like that is it? The bike would crash and you'd be sick because of your vertigo and there's always what happens after the 'The End'. No-one seems to think about that bit do they?"

"You-Know-Who's in the Daily Prophet every day now. Muggles being tortured, whole families just disappearing, inferi attacks. It makes me feel so shallow, here, just worrying about schoolwork and friends and homework but the truth is I'm scared. I'm scared someone I care about is going to be next to disappear, I'm scared for my stupid brother and I'm scared I'm going to lose you through my own stupidity."

He tucked a stray strand of my hair behind one ear, "I've never seen you close up with your hair down, it's so long isn't it. You know for a total tomboy I figured you'd have really short hair. I mean, doesn't it get caught round stuff?"

Yes you idiot, I thought, you tied it around a chair in class didn't you?

" I love you Arty. It's crazy isn't it? I don't even want to sleep with you. That's a good thing by the way," He added quickly, "I mean not yet. I know we fight the whole time and I am probably incapable of having kids now but...I guess you don't know what you have until you lose it."

I tried to move my fingers, to touch his lips but it felt like my fingers were held by the Petrificus Totalus charm. He dropped my fingers onto the bed and I waited for the scrape of chair legs to mark his departure that didn't come.

"It was pointless you know, all this. James still hasn't got up the nerve to ask Lily out. I left them together like five times and all he managed was, and I quote: "Arrrggghhh!" before changing the subject." He laughed, "He's been acting so weird for him, more weird than normal I mean, he never used to have a problem, Merlin knows he's had enough practise."

From the other side of the room I could hear movement and the scraping of what I assumed was the Matron closing the curtains.

Sirius bent down and I felt his lips on mine for a few fleeting seconds. Then, "I'll be back tomorrow okay?"

He paused and I could almost feel his pitiable hope that I might actually answer.

I tried, I really did, but my lips refused to move and then he was gone.


	31. the worst thing i ever did

"Hey."

Go away Remus!

"How you doing?"

How do you think I'm doing?

"No of course you're not- stupid question."

You don't say.

Okay, so I was in a bad mood, the whole floating through darkness thing was getting boring, and because everyone thought I couldn't hear them they were using me as some sort of spurting post. And by spurting post I mean an inanimate object that everyone uses to spurt their deepest darkest secrets at. Man, I was gonna have so much blackmail material when I woke up.

So I didn't really need Remus right just now.

"I've been doing some research."

Whoop-de-doo.

"And I know why you're not waking up."

Okay, I'm listening.

"It's because you're...Well...You and I...We're..." He cleared his throat. "Man I'm glad you can't move right now because you are going to hit me so hard...We-aren't-human-so-the-spell-works-differently-on-us."

What?

"I know you know what I am. I saw you that night too. Back in fourth year. You remember?"

No kidding, course I remember. I'd seen Remus, staggering, covered in blood that I later found out was his own. I remember wondering why he was here at school when his mother was so ill at home. I'd been so confused but then I'd worked it out.

It was so weird, I'd hidden away from him, convinced he wasn't my friend that had helped me with my transfiguration but a monster intent on savagery and bloodshed. I would cringe away from him when he passed me in the corridor, not meet his eye from the other side of the common room. I'm not proud of how I made him feel- in fact I hate myself for it.

It took me almost four months to get used to the fact that my best guy friend was a werewolf. Looking back I don't know why I was so prejudiced, Remus wasn't a monster he just had an ailment, rather like me really. I was such a hypocrite, was I with my freaky genes really in any position to be disparaging about something that wasn't his fault?

So I'd tried to stop and Remus, being so incredibly good, had forgiven my behaviour and included me again like we had gone back to how we used to be.

But we were never as close as we could have been.

Which was all my bloody fault.

"The reverse charm isn't working because you don't honestly want to wake up. That's the non-human part of you. You have to want to be human to wake up, something worth waking up for. Otherwise you'll slowly fade away and...Well...Die."

Wow, so this is all my fault now? But then again, did I want to wake up? Was Remus right? I loved school right? So why didn't I want to wake up?

The darkness felt a little warmer now, like water, the higher you rose. And then I broke the surface, gasping like I'd just swam a mile...into the light and weird smell of the Hospital Wing.

"YOU KNEW ABOUT THAT THE ENTIRE TIME?"

To say Remus didn't really have a thing for being assaulted by what he had thought was inanimate object was rather like saying Titanic didn't have a thing for icebergs. Then again I'd always secretly thought he had the depth of an inflatable kitty pool. Okay, that was Sirius but still...

"Good, you're awake. Now Sirius will stop bugging me to spend every waking second in the library madly researching cures for you."

"You spend every waking second in the library anyway."

"Trust me, this was extreme. Oh by the way, Lily's been collecting all your homework for you."

"I was sick, on the brink of death for all you knew! Don't I get a break for nearly dying?"

"Nope. But don't worry I'll help you with your Transfiguration."

Okay, so maybe we could become close again. And maybe, just maybe, we'd be stronger for it too. You need the downs to appreciate the ups, the dark makes you focus more on the light doesn't it?

"You drool when you sleep you know."

Okay, deep moment over.

I grinned and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, pulling myself to my feet and almost collapsing, before righting myself and walking, with a werewolf's (who more a man than anyone I knew) help to the door.

"Thanks Remus." I whispered, so softly he almost couldn't hear me. But he did, I could tell from his hand tightening around my waist and his slight chuckle.

Anyone listening would have assumed that I was thanking him for helping me walk but he knew better.

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Too right!


	32. Kisses, Presents and Memories To Keep

**Sorry for the atrociously long wait, (don't you just love the word atrocious?) it' been mad here, a little thing called course-work and over stressed teachers and it's not even Christmas yet!**

**Anyway, I hope it's worth the wait and if not… well tough just joking**

**Let me know what you think, and as always Harry Potter will never be mine.**

**!**

It was official. My life was perfect.

"And she's alive!" Sirius crowed. I broke the surface of the lake and splashed him good naturedly, once Sirius's teasing would have driven me nuts, now it sort of just seemed sweet. In an annoying sort of way.

Lily and Remus looked up from where they lay, each with their nose in a book. Typical. James was staring adoringly at Lily, also typical, not that she seemed to notice. I didn't know where Peter was- he seemed to be on his own a lot at the moment and when I had seen him he was either following James and Sirius around or sitting in a corner scribbling away on a scratty piece of parchment.

It was all very strange.

So there we were, by the lake. Originally it had only been me and Lily, taking a break from N.E. revision in the morning sunshine of the first truly warm day of April, but then Sirius hadn't had anything to do and had his puppy dog expression on so I'd had to let him come too. James of course had to come to then so Lily had begged Remus to come too to make it a little less like a double date. Remus didn't seem to mind though that had pretty much scuppered my idea for a relaxing swim (James being the only one of the group who didn't know about my little secret) but then I'd glanced at Lily and seen her encouraging face and sort of just blurted it out.

James took it pretty well all things considered.

"I always thought there was something weird about you."

_"Thanks!"_

And that, it seemed, had been that.

I pulled myself up on my elbows and leaned forwards, pressing my lips to Sirius's. I felt him smile as he slipped his sun-warmed arms around me, sliding up the back of my sodden shirt until hands touched my lower back sending that all too familiar shiver up my spine. I smiled too and wrapped my arms around him, pulling my bum out of the water so I was sat on the very edge of the bank.

A book hit me on the head.

"OW!" We pulled apart, me rubbing my poor head and Sirius looking a tad annoyed our kiss had been interrupted. Remus sighed and reached over to where his book had landed.

"_Prongs!_ It could have gone in the water. Please, please _please_ AIM!"

"Sorry Moony."

James didn't sound in the least bit sorry. He checked his watch and stretched out again in the golden sunlight. Though it had been his idea to skip History of Magic I had to agree, it had been a good idea.

And what was the cause of this glorious scene?

Why, my birthday of course.

My glorious, glorious birthday!

The twenty-first of April. Best day of the Year.

And I'd been promised a party I'd never forget later. Though why I'd never forget it might not be a good thing- drunkenness, embarrassing moment and several very hot boys. It had to be good right?

Though I'd better not tell Sirius about the other hot boys now should I? Wouldn't want him to get jealous now would we? I happen to like being human coloured.

I lay down next to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

It was official, my life was perfect.

oxoXoxo

"I am confiscating this! Grab something to drink and get dancing!" Remus scowled at me as I banished his book up to my dormitory with a flick of my wand, but really I think sitting their in the middle of MY party reading a book was just pushing it a little too much so I think I was entitled to be a little melodramatic.

"Come on, lets dance." I shoved a bottle of butter-beer in to his hand then grabbed his forearm, leading him onto the dance floor. My head was buzzing pleasantly, the result of the three bottles of fire-whiskey Sirius had poured down my throat, and my feet were aching, the result of the heels I hadn't been able to argue my way out of. DIE JAZZ! Only kidding. Well maybe…

I didn't have a clue how the Marauder's had arranged this (I guess dating the hottest guy in school does have some benefits after all) but there was food and drinks everywhere. Music was booming out of the wirelesses positioned all over the common room but as Minnie hadn't turned up yet I assumed it was also magically sound-proofed.

Remus was standing awkwardly like a lemon by my side, probably wondering if I would notice if he made a dash for it. Yes I certainly would, my friend. I pulled him closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. Poor Remus, he looked so uncomfortable but I just took another gulp of my drink and started dancing. He shot an uncomfortably look at Sirius who was dancing with Max over on the other side of the room.

I wondered vaguely where Lily was, probably hiding out in the dorm away from the noise and bustle of the crowds probably. I took another gulp and felt it burn all the way down my throat. My head was beginning to spin. I saw Remus's concerned eyes as I tripped and fell forwards into his arms.

"Sorry I was such a bitch." I mumbled into his chest. I knew I wouldn't have to elaborate, he would just know how guilty I felt over how I'd treated him. The guilt I'd managed to suppress for so long, now brought to the surface through the influence of alcohol.

That was what I always loved about Remus, how he could read my mind, how he always knew when words were needed and when to just wrap his arms around me and just let me know he cared.

He wrapped his arms around and hugged me like I was his wayward little sister. I could feel his hands stroking my hair and in the pit of my stomach I could feel something move. The guilt disappearing.

"Can I cut in?" I glanced up into Sirius's silver eyes and smiled weakly at Remus who passed a hand through his hair.

"Sorry."

"Nah, no problem."

He turned to walk away but I caught his arm, "Just a thought, you do know Lizzie likes you right?"

Remus bit his lip and looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, is there anyway you can…discourage her? I just don't feel that way and I feel so bad about it…"

"Don't worry, I'll…try and sort something out."

He looked relieved. "You're the best!"

I punched him lightly on the arm, "Don't you forget it!"

I let Sirius pull me away, slipping out of the common room into the quiet corridor.

"Thank you so much, everything today, it's been fantastic, you must have worked so hard."

He buried his face in my neck. "I called in a couple of favours."

"Oh really?" He grinned and kissed me. I melted into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. We just stood there and kissed for a few minutes before he pulled away. I sighed and opened my eyes. Only to focus on a tiny, beautifully wrapped parcel. I smiled and tore it open and gasped, the long golden chain dripping from my fingertips. The locket was perfect in everyway, the fine links and the swirls engraved onto the heart.

"Open it." Sirius whispered. I could tell he was nervous, an almost unheard of emotion for him.

I dug my nail behind the catch and it's little door swung open to reveal a moving photo in the each of the doors. The right was of every single one of my friends waving up at me. Jazz, Max, Alice, Lizzie, Lily, Frank, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter, all beaming and waving away merrily. The left was of myself and Sirius, dancing around and making faces. You could just make out the swirling snow through a misty window almost completely hidden by an enormous fir tree, staggering under the weight of ornaments and candles. Just another of the many photos we'd taken over the Christmas holidays I'd completely forgotten about.

"It's beautiful." I breathed. Sirius beamed. I pulled my ponytail over one shoulder and flicked the catch, slipping it's fine gold chain around my neck.

We both stared down at it, resting just below my collarbone, then we were kissing again. Faster this time, more heated, hands sliding over skin, shirts becoming untucked, buttons undone. Our feet were tangling together as we stumbled backwards towards a nearby deserted classroom. I felt the door handle dig into my back and I yanked it open, falling inside.

The problem was it wasn't deserted…


	33. Who's behind Door number 1?

**Yep, sorry this is such a short-y but the next chapter should be longer**

**R&R? **

Sirius's mouth dropped open. "James?" He bellowed. At the exact same as I squeaked "_L-L-Lily?_"

Lily hastily began to button up her shirt. James just stared at us.

"Shit."

"Shit's about right." Sirius agreed, "Since when were you lip-locking with Lily Evans? She hates you."

"I think the fact that she was lip-locking him proves otherwise." I piped up helpfully. Then turned on my best friend.

"What are you _doing_? You Hate James! Hate with a capital 'H!' What are you doing making out with him?"

"I don't hate him, with a capital 'H' or without. I wouldn't be making out with him if I did."

"Oh excuse me, listen and I quote: "I Hate that bloody James Potter, he's such an egotistical arrogant and censored, Censored, CENSORED!"

"You said that." James looked hurt.

"I had a front to keep up." She retorted.

"B-b-b-but-but-but-" I stammered, but she cut me off.

"Any more buts and I'll transfigure you into a goat. You hated Sirius and that didn't stop you getting to second base with him on your first make out session!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN, WE DID NOT GET TO SECOND BASE THE FIRST TIME WE MADE OUT!"

Sirius's head was snapping backwards and forward between Lily and I like he was watching a tennis match.

"She's right you know," He remarked to James who was trying to de-steam his glasses and pull his shirt on at the same time. His hair was even messier than normal.

"Right about what?" James didn't really seem to be following the conversation.

"We didn't make it to second base until the second time we made out."

I rounded on him.

"SIRIUS!"

"Just joking!"

"I don't get what the fuss is about anyway, you've wanted us to get together for ages. That's why you started that ridiculous Operation G.L.A.J.T.A.T.L.E.O.A.G.S.S- to get us together."

"First, how do you know about that?" I demanded. "And second, how in the name of Merlin's most saggy Y-fronts can you remember all those letters?"

"I'm head girl, I know everything. And I'm not the smartest girl in the school for nothing."

"Most modest too." Sirius quipped.

Lily and I turned on him.

"Shut up! Can't you see we're trying to have an argument here?"

"So it would seem."

"OH...Bah!" I snapped, unable to come up with a suitably cutting come-back.

"Bah?" He echoed.

"_Bah?_" Lily and James asked.

"Yes BAH!" I said, uttered, screeched.

Lily and James stared at me speechlessly. I stared back at them speechlessly.

Sirius turned to Lily and slapped her on the back: "You've done, you've done something more extraordinary than playing chess with the giant squid" ( Messers Moony would here like to point out that the Giant Squid is very good at wizard chess but not good enough to beat Remus) "You have Silenced..." He paused for dramatic effect. "...The Un-Silencable!"

_"Hey!"_

"Firstly, " Lily raised her eyebrows, "Why have you capitalised Silenced and 'Un-Silencable' and secondly is that even a word?"

"Hey?"

"No you dim-witted moron! Un-Silencable!"

"Yes."

"I beg to differ!"

"Go on then. You'll never outwit the Padfoot."

"Sirius, why are you talking about yourself in third person again?" I asked, "Remember what happened last time."

He dropped to his knees, his face contorted with panic." NOO! PLEASE NO! NOT THE PILLOW OF DOOM! ANYTHING BUT THAT, PLEASE, _PLEASE_ I BEG OF YOU!"

"The pillow of doom?" Lily looked sceptical.

I smiled evilly, "Works every time."

Internally, I couldn't believe it.

_Lily__and__James?_


	34. Author's Note

**Author's note...**

**HEY! **

**I can't believe this is my second Christmas I've been on this story now! Gonna be taking a break until after Christmas some time but hopefully I'll have a new chapter up when the New Year comes!**

**Hope you have a fantastic Christmas and may 'all your dreams come true'! Cheesy I know but _Hey!__It's__Christmas._**

**You're allowed.**

**See ya.**

**A.A.A. :P**


	35. Lily's story

**This is going to be the first of several instalments from Lily's POV to explain the occurrence in the last chapter. I hope you like the different style. R&R prlease!**

I quailed in fear as the spider slowly crawled across the far wall of the bathroom - The spider in question had clearly been subjected to an engorgement charm as no spider could grow to those proportions naturally, it was almost as large as my fist.

There was a thump at the door and Arty's voice floated through the wall, begging me to 'please, Please, _please_ hurry up'. I gave a little whimpering sound and sank down the wall, the spider now heading for the door.

Arty spat out a couple of the choicest curses and opened the lock with a flick of her wand before smashing open the door and pelting to the toilet bowl. She then proceeded to let fly the contents of the Honeyduke's Bumper Hamper from Max's birthday we had made short work of the night before.

_Eww!_

I closed my eyes and sprinted for the door, collapsing a few seconds later onto my bed and pulling the pillow over my head. There was a lull in the conversation and I could tell Alice and Lizzie were exchanging worried glances.

"I told you not to breed your spiders in the bathroom."

I took in a breath and sat up.

"I mean, it was bound to cause problems."

Alice had the decency to look a little shamefaced.

"I wasn't breeding them exactly. Just storing them until I could find somewhere to put them. My brother sent them to me as a present and _I_ didn't know what to do with them."

"Your brother is a nitwit. Why on Earth would he think you wanted spiders?"

"He's eights! _Eight! _What did you expect?"

"Did you ever accidentally let slip that what you wanted more than anything in the world was a colony of spiders that had been subjected to an accidental engorgement charm?" 

Alice sighed and picked up a couple of textbooks. "No, of course not." She crossed the room over to me and laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Come on Lils, it's okay."

I gave her a shaky smile and began gathering up my own school supplies. Arty chose that moment to flush the toilet and stagger out of the bathroom.

"You've looked better." I quipped.

She smiled ruefully, "Don't you start, I still maintain it was the hampers fault."

"Don't you blame that poor, defenceless hamper. It was you and you alone who ate seven fizzing-Whizzbees in one minute just to see if you could. Sirius is rubbing off on you."

"HEY!"

"And you drank all that coffee, I mean, come on, what did you expect?"

"You were high as a kite, " Lizzie giggled, "Though I think there's something fundamentally wrong with your life style."

Arty laughed, then buried her head in her hands with a moan, "Don't make me laugh- It hurts too much."

Alice smiled, swung her bag over one shoulder and, with Lizzie right behind her, departed for breakfast almost bumping into Jazz who was charging up the stairs two at a time. Jazz seemed to have two settings at the moment. Fast...And even faster. She seemed constantly to be in motion, even more than usual. Even my dear friend Arty, who, bless her, wasn't particularly intuitive at the best of times, had remarked that Jazz seemed to be operating on a higher frequency than usual.

"Fancy breakfast?" I teased, picking up my charms textbook and wand off my bedside cabinet. Arty went green gain and flopped down her bed. Jazz was now rooting around for something under her bed.

"I'll never eat again."

I reached over and poked her in the stomach, then started for the door, my arms full of textbooks. "Don't be melodramatic, skip breakfast and go to the Hospital Wing. Choke down whatever vile concoction Madam Pomphrey makes you swallow and, if you manage to keep that down, meet me at lunch and come to afternoon lessons. Go on, I'll make your excuses to Professor Flitwick."

She smiled gratefully and collapsed back onto the mattress, pulling a blanket over her head. I waited for Jazz to sprint past me, clutching something to her chest, and closed the door quietly behind me.

I started down the stairs to the common room, humming something under my breath. Then I thought to check my watch and gave a groan. Even if I ran the entire way to the Great Hall getting actually to eat before having to leave was a no-go. Students of ages were already elbowing their way past in every which direction. I let myself be carried along for a few floors then dived off down the Charms corridor. I felt someone push me from behind and the precariously balanced books in my arms took flight, spreading themselves around the floor of a smallish alcove in which a suit of armour was leaning drunkenly to the left. Muttering to myself I dropped to my knees and began picking up all the stupid textbooks. It's amazing how an armful of books can go, well, everywhere. I swear I only had about seven but by this point I had already got a stack of at least eleven. Stupid library, stupid books, stupid me-

"OWW!" MY HEAD, OH THE PAIN! There was a cracking noise, oh man, had I split my skull open? Broken something? Fracture? Funny, the only thing that hurt was the crown of my head and that didn't feel broken. Mind you, would you know if something was broken? I've never broken anything in my entire life. Arty has, like a thousand times. She spent most of the time I knew her falling over and smashing bones...Though they're not always her bones.

But I digress, I sat back on my haunches, still rubbing my battered brain and muttering, to look up at the damage I had inflicted on whatever unfortunate wall my head had met with...And found a pair of warm brown eyes staring back at me like I wasn't quite in focus.

Fantastic, I managed to brain James Potter and convince him I was totally insane all in five minutes. That's a record, even for me.

"Potter?"

The out of focus eyes met mine and a red blush began to spread across his face. "Hi, Lily."

It was only then that I glanced down at the pile of neatly stacked library books and then at the pair of circular glass lying in two halves on the floor by his leg. Ahh, so that was what the cracking noise was. And that was probably why his eyes were out of focus.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine, honestly. Erm, though would you mind rooting around in my bag, I think I've got some spellatape in there somewhere and I can't really see without my glasses."

He bit his lip and smiled nervously at me. He looked so sweet bless him.

"I've got a better idea."

I picked up his glasses and pulled out my wand. "Reparo." And handed them to him. He took them gratefully and stuffed them onto his nose, blinking at me. I'd seen him so often over the last three months, what with Head girl duties and classes (of which we were taking the same) but I'd never thought to ask how much he could see without his glasses.

Answer: Not a lot

"Thanks, I'd forgotten about that."

"Never wise, it's my most used spell. Or at least when Arty's around it is."

"She is bit of a klutz isn't she?" He laughed, pulling me to my feet, sounding more like the James I knew. "Brilliant at her drawing and stuff...But a bit of a klutz."

"Don't I know it, thanks for helping me with the books by the way. I meant to drop them off at the library on the way to breakfast but due to...Unforeseen circumstances things went a little askew and I've gone and missed both."

"You missed breakfast?"

"Uhuh, and I've got tutoring at lunch so I shall just have to starve." I meant it in a jokey way but James thrust my books back into my arms and took off running.

Wha-?

"Um, James? Where are you going?"

He simply waved one hand and ricocheted off Remus who was climbing the stairs before elbowing his way through a crowd of Hufflepuff's and vanishing.

"What was that about?" Remus asked after navigating the last step and coming to stand beside me.

"I don't know...But he's going to miss class if he doesn't hurry up."

"You know James, a law unto himself."

"Lord, what fools these mortal be."

Remus looked impressed, "A midsummer night dream, I didn't know you read Shakespeare."

I smiled. It was one of my secret pleasures. "I'm more surprised you do."

He smiled, nodding eagerly, "Yes, my mother was incredibly widely read and each month when I was better after-" He cut off suddenly and bit his lip. "She used to read to me when I was ill, and to my little sister though she could never sit still enough for Shakespeare."

"You have a sister?"

"Had. She died when I was four."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."

"Oh course you didn't, only the boys know about her."

"What was she like?" I knew really I should change the subject, spare him the pain of recounting his memories but I couldn't. As Arty often said, I was like a dog with a bone when it came to things I didn't previously know.

"I don't really remember very much about her, she was called Ellen, it meant shining light which was just right for her. She was always cheerful, always laughing. She was going to be beautiful when she was older, soft blonde hair and wide grey eyes."

"How did she-"

"-Greyback, my father insulted him so he came after us."

"Oh my gosh, Remus, I had no idea. I'm so sorry"

He smiled tightly, "It all happened a long time ago, come on, we'd better get to class."

"Yes..."

Remus had had a sister. Who knew? I smiled at him and followed him into the classroom. Who knew...?


	36. Lily's story part ii

**Part two of Lily's story. I'm not quite sure how many parts there's going to be but I hope you like them nevertheless.**

Even after we had all piled into the classroom, Peter slipping in at the last second with a forgotten textbook clutched in one sweaty hand, James still hadn't appeared. In fact he didn't turn up all lesson and I didn't see him again until I was stepping onto the fourth floor staircase on my way to Transfiguration.

He ran up behind me, something held in a small paper bag in one hand which he offered to me. I took it, though hesitantly (I'd been on the receiving end of too many of his 'jokes') and peered inside expecting to find dungbombs or some other horrendous trick from Zonko's. What I really found was even more surprising: a couple of pieces of warm toast, a nectarine and a small bottle of pumpkin juice.

"Breakfast?"

"You said you were going to miss it." He looked slightly red, "I mean, you did want some right?"

My stomach rumbled, answering his question. I bit my lip, embarrassed. "Yeah, I mean, sure I did. But you didn't have to cut class just to get it for me."

"Yes." He said seriously, "I did."

"Thank you." I reached up on tip-toe and pecked him on the cheek. "For everything." Then my staircase moved, taking me to my lesson, leaving him standing there, still touching his cheek where I'd kissed him. And I burst out laughing.

0o0o0

_A couple of weeks later…_

"Oh Jazz," I sighed, internally wishing that Max, Arty, Alice, anyone was here to look after Jazz instead of me. I had a headache pulsing behind my eyes and a stack of homework to do. "You know you have to tell the others."

She sobbed harder, "I can't, not yet. It will ruin my career and you'll all hate me."

"Why would we hate you? You're our friend."

"Easy for you to say," She hiccupped and wiped her eyes. "You're not the one who's got some disease!"

"You haven't got a disease, don't be stupid!"

"Love could be a disease for all most people care."

"I care. Look, tell the others. If they care they're not really your friends are they?"

"But Max-"

"But Max nothing. She'll support you, I'd bet anything on it. It's not like he's a monster or anything. He's cute, especially for a Slytherin."

She sniffled and I passed her a tissue, "Sure?"

"Sure." I held out my hand to help her up, she took it, hauling herself to her feet. Tossing the used tissue into the fireplace, she scrubbed at her eyes, trying to remove the make-up that was smeared across her face.

We walked together down to the dungeon, despite the fact that Jazz had a free period.

"You're definitely going to tell them aren't you?"

"Yeah, right after potions."

I nodded, smiled, and slipped into class, taking a seat next to Arty. Too bad I didn't see the crossed fingers.

0o0o0

"You do know this is all your fault, don't you?"

"It usually is. Not that that's anything new."

"Why are you taking it so well? Your so-called best friend blew up half the dungeon taking himself and my best friend with him, resulting in my terrible headache and the indignity of having to summon stretchers to get them to the Hospital Wing in one piece." I huffed, scuffing one of my shoe on a small bit of uneven ground, causing Arty's stretcher to dip alarmingly. James seized my wrist, forcing it up before Arty took an unexpected dive.

"Thanks," I sat, rather breathlessly, more than aware of just how close we were standing, almost cheek to cheek. Or rather my face to his chest. "But it's still all your fault."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"_James!"_

He threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender and laughed. "You called me James."

I raised my eyebrows, "And? What you going to do about it?"

"This."

He dived for me and began to tickle me mercilessly. I shrieked and Sirius gave a moan as he hit the floor. But then he smirked, even unconscious, as Arty rolled over and buried her face in his shoulder. James's fingers slipped under my shirt, tickling my stomach. I squawked again, even louder and fell against him, hiccupping with laughter.

Peeves choice that particular second to decide that James was trying to kill me and that it seemed like a very good idea to join in.

"James! HELP!"

"But you're doing so well on your own."

Madam Pomfrey came barrelling out of the Hospital Wing at that moment.

"What's going on?"

"They're not dead."

"I may not be a healer at St. Mungo's but I do know that."

"Sorry but-"

"Miss Evans, I came out of the Hospital Wing to find the Head Boy having a seizure, the Head Girl tearing down the corridor firing gum at the poltergeist and two dead bodies lying on the floor, wrapped so closely together it's difficult to tell who's who! I am very annoyed. Now get back to your common room and leave these two imbeciles with me."

I didn't need telling twice. We hurried back to Gryffindor Tower, smothering our giggles. The classes hadn't finished just yet so we had the halls to ourselves. We stumbled along, trying, and failing, to smother our giggles.

"Poor Arty, Sirius is going to drive her crazy. What would I give to see her face when she wakes up and sees she's been attached to Sirius." I snorted, most unladylike I know but satisfactory none the less.

"She'll kill him before the weeks out."

"Yeah." I said dreamily. How lovely that would be… Peace and quiet, something a girl like me can only dream of.

"When are they going to realise that they're perfect for each other? Sirius is completely obsessed, he never shuts up about her."

"She likes him too, not that she'd admit it. Stupid, stupid girl."

"Is that how you like me but won't admit it?"

My heart stopped, "You've got to be joking!"

He snorted, " You don't mean that!"

"Oh I really do!"

"Really?

"Really, really, _really_. You're just too stubborn to admit that I'm not the girl for you."

"And you really believe that?"

"Really, really, _really!"_

"Lucky Sirius, he's bound to have more luck with Arty than I am with you."

"Oh, a plague upon both your houses."

"What?"

"It's from Romeo and Juliet."

"What?"

"Read it and tell me what you think."

"So I can talk to you again?"

"Yes James, you can talk to me again." I smiled and began to climb the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

"Oh the joy! Thank you Merlin!"

I opened the door smiling, wondering exactly what a Marauder would think of the greatest love story in existence…


	37. Lily's story part iii

**So, so sorry for the long wait but here you go!**

**R&R please!**

"You're screwed." I said cheerfully, grabbing my bag and slinging it over one shoulder. Arty looked ready to throttle me. "Look," I rummaged in voluminous pocket of my robes for a couple of minutes, and emerged triumphant with a small crystal vial. "I bribed of Slughorn for this: Relaxing Potion, and, well... I thought it might help."

She looked pathetically gratefully and accepted it, stuffing it out of sight.

"Wish me luck?"

"Knock him dead Tiger."

"You know..." She trailed off thoughtfully, then smiled. "That might work."

_"HEY!"_

"Shut up Sirius."

-o-0-o-

"So, what did you think of it?" I asked James as we crossed the quad to Herbology through the thick snow that had fallen over night. It was only three weeks to Christmas after all.

I almost stumbled over a particularly large pile but he caught my elbow, setting me back upright on my feet. I'd been up insanely early this morning, Arty's stupid little ship had fired a ten guns salute to wake me up. I didn't really blame her though, she did look terrible and I _had_ been bugging her all year to let me have free rein with the mascara brush.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Erm, well, it was..."

"Hey, don't worry, " I elbowed him lightly in the side, "I don't like Romeo and Juliet either, way to soppy for my liking."

"It's just not my sort of thing, I don't really like tragedy that much."

"And here was me thinking it was the romance bit that put you off."

"Nah, when I was little my mum used to read all her old romantic comedies to me, so I kinda grew up with it. It's all the dying bit that puts me off."

"Why?" On seeing his face I hurried on, "I mean, I just figured, you're a teenage guy and most guys like, I dunno, war books and spy films and stuff."

"Spy films?"

"It's a Muggle thing, I mean... Never mind."

"I like happy books. There's way too much dying in real life, why would you want to read about more? It's bad enough people are being murdered all over the place now without some author glorifying the war and making it seem glamorous."

"Okay, yeah I can see that."

"You can?"

"Sure, which is why I grabbed this from my trunk this morning, thought you might like it."

"The Taming of the Shrew?"

"It's a comedy, my favourite actually. It's a romance, sort of, but it's mainly about Kate and Petrucio arguing the entire way through the play. Very funny. Tell me what you think."

I waved to him and headed off to join Alice who was standing by the front of the class in Greenhouse 7. I saw him smiled and wave back before joining Remus and turning to his plants.

-o-0-o-

"How do you know about the Room of Requirements?"

"I sort of found it, by accident. I didn't know it could change though. I just thought it was a handing room behind a tapestry that Severus couldn't get into. It was in fifth year, just after he called me a, well, You Know What."

In fact I'd been running away from him. He'd taken to following me for a few weeks after I stopped being his friends, saying he was sorry. It had been so hard not to burst into tears and hug him that at the time it had just seemed easier to avoid him. I'd sprinted to the end of the hall, seen James at the other end, sprinted back, seen Sev and fallen over in the middle of the corridor as the door appeared leading me to a small room with a warm fire and a row of Shakespeare's plays. I'd stayed there all evening, hiding from everyone, reading. That was when I first discovered how much I related to many of Shakespeare's characters.

I turned back to James and smiled sadly. He, wisely perhaps, didn't say anything about Sev, simply leading me into the Come and Go Room.

-o-0-o-

"Man, what just happened?"

"James, what are you doing up, it's six thirty? You should be sleeping off your hangover."

"Yeah, well, one of the perks of being a wizard eh? Hangover charms."

"Isn't it just better not to get drunk in the first place?"

"Yeah, I always think that in the morning but by the time I remember it in the evenings it tends to be a bit late."

I smiled and levered him to his feet from where he had collapsed on one of the common room couches "Come on, let's get you down to breakfast and some hot coffee."

"I feel sorry for Sirius, he drank twice as much as I did and he's got Arty to deal with when he wakes up. Add the fact that she probably won't remember that she was half naked when she passed out and ended up being carried all the way back to Gryffindor Tower by Sirius under the invisibility cloak, she'll probably be ready to murder something."

"Yep, she'll be flaming- Wait, Sirius has an invisibility cloak?"

"It's mine actually. I just figured that Arty would rather be invisible than nude, so I lent it to him."

"You know," I clambered through the portrait hole then help James through after me, "That explains a lot. Like how everyone always knew you'd done something but no-one could ever prove it and how you always seem to be able to get to Hogsmede whenever you want. What do you do? Sneak out the gates and walk there?"

"Not quite." He gave a small smiled, then fell down a flight of stairs, taking me with him. We landed in a heap at the bottom and hastily untangled ourselves, blushing furiously. I bit my lip as he just stared at me.

"What?" I asked, self consciously. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, " he muttered. "Nothing like that."

I bit my lip for a moment then, on impulse, I leaned forward and pecked him once on the cheek. My lips tingled when they met his smooth skin, broken with slight stubble and I drew back to see him staring at me like Peeves had just thrown a brick at his head.

I let out an awkward giggle. Then a bubble of laughter gurgled up from the pit of my stomach, erupting from my lips.

"Your _face!_" I snorted, collapsing back onto the stairs.

"Oh Merlin! Your FACE!"

"Erm...Lily?"

"My laughter were echoing around the deserted hall.

"What are you doing?"

I staggered to my feet and hiccupped loudly again, trying to stifle my giggles.

"Never mind. Come on, let's get you coffee."


	38. Lily's Tale part iv

**I crave your forgiveness for the wait of 33 DAYS! My only excuse is that I have been away for some of that time and those pesky teachers at school have made me sit a couple of GCSE's, claiming they will be important in years to come. BAH!**

**Anyway, for all of those still following this epic tale of bloodshed and gore here is the next chapter of Lily's Tale wherein this chapter you will find: a pair of glasses; a soppy moment, and a very bad smell.**

**Please enjoy!**

The moon was staring down at Hogwarts, leaving everything it touched bathed in silver. The stars twinkled, laughing at a joke only they can understand. And a meteor plummeted out of the night sky, my insane best friend, screaming silently on its back.

Wait a minute...

What I'd first mistaken for a meteorite was in fact a very large, very black, very dangerous, flying motorbike. And I only knew one boy in the entire world, insane enough to even contemplate the thought that it would be a good idea to charm a Muggle motorbike to fly.

"Looks like we're not the only ones sneaking around tonight." I leaned into James' chest and breathed in his smell of broomstick polish and cinnamon which shouldn't of worked, but just somehow did.

"Hmm?" He said absentmindedly, turning another page and wrapping his arm more securely around my waist

"I said, it looks like we're not the only ones sneaking about tonight."

He set down his book and buried his face in my hair. "Oh and who might be sneaking around this fine night?" His lips grazed my ear, just slightly sending that thrill through me that always made my toes curl.

"Artemis. And Sirius."

"Oh?" He said again, then, with a grin, pulled me into his lap, kissing the tip of my nose.

"Yes, in fact I bet that if I were to head back to the dorm right now I'd find her bed mysteriously empty, her clothes vanished without trace and your buffoon of a best friend seducing her into temporally forgetting her chronic fear of heights so much as to clamber onto that death-trap he has the nerve to call a motorbike and soar off into the moonlight. " I said, all in one breath.

"Sirius isn't a buffoon." He said automatically. I stared at him. "Okay, maybe he is but that's not the point."

"Oh? And what is the _'point'_ may I be so bold as to ask?" I teased, pulling his glasses off his nose and sliding them onto my own. The world went fuzzy.

"I think you may!" He growled, pushing me down onto my back and kissing me playfully on the tip of my nose.

"Why Good Sir, you are too bold, too bold indeed." I giggled, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "One would almost think you were taking liberties." He nibbled my earlobe and I shivered. "Go ahead," I squeaked. "Take all the liberties you want."

-o-0-o-

"Come on, "I sighed as, somewhere down a corridor, the clocked chimed midnight, "We'd better move." He rolled off the rug reluctantly and began pulling on his shirt as I lay there, watching his easy, graceful movements. Then I, too, rolled into my feet and beckoned towards him. "Your hair's a mess."

"My hair's always a mess."

"I love your messy hair."

"I thought you hated it."

"Only when you're annoying me. Then I loathe it."

"I'm hurt."

"Don't worry, I haven't loathed you since we started dating."

"Hah!" He pounced on the word. "So we are dating!"

"Well, not exactly. More like-"

"-Making out whenever we want. Come on Lily, we are dating, you just don't want to admit it."

And the truth was, I didn't want to admit. However much I liked James (and I now knew that I really, really, really did like James) I knew that if I admitted that we were dating everyone would have known I'd been wrong about him and I am never wrong. Never. Well, occasionally but only when no-one's looking.

"Lily?" His hazel eyes met mine and concern was written all over his face. "You're talking to yourself again."

I flushed, then leaned forwards and pressed my lips against his cheek. "Can we...can we just not tell anyone. I mean-" His face darkened, "-Just not yet. Until, you know, I'm used to...All this."

I could see the indecision, one the one hand he desperately wanted to tell everyone, proclaim it to the world that, _finally, _he gotten his heart's desire, but on the other, he wanted to do what I wanted too.

"James, look at me. Just until New Year. Then, heck, you can yell it from the Astronomy Tower if you want too." I pleaded. "I just can't stand all the rumours and gossip right now."

"Even if it's something good?"

"Especially then, I couldn't stand it if it all went wrong and other people ruined it for us."

"I love you." He said, so simply and so straightforwardly, that I knew it must be true. "And if that's what you want then that's fine with me."

"Thank you, you have no idea how much-"

"-But you owe me."

"What?"

"I think a kiss will do it."

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the tip of my nose, then my forehead, then my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and smiled blissfully under his lips.

"I love you Lily." He murmured into my neck.

"And I, you. And I, you."

-o-0-o-

"I mean it this time, we've got to go. Filch could catch us, or Peeves. Or worse, McGonagall. I could lose my Head Girl badge and you could get kicked off the quidditch team and-"

"You worry far too much. Look, I'll know within seconds if anyone's coming."

"Oh? And how, pray, will you know?"

"You talk funny sometimes, you know that?"

"JAMES!"

"Sorry, look."

"It's just a bit of mouldy old parchment."

_"A Piece Of Mouldy Old Parchment!" _He spluttered, clutching the piece of parchment to his chest as one would, a new baby. "This took me almost two solid years of study and one hundred and thirty-four detentions for sneaking around at night to make."

"You made this? James, dear, don't take this the wrong way but _it's a mouldy old piece of parchment!_ and-"

"-Stop calling it that, you'll hurt it's feelings!"

"It an inanimate object-"

"Shhh! I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Yes I know that, " I said exasperatedly, "Oh, James, it looks like you spilt coffee on it now, give it here,"

I unfolded the parchment, carefully smoothing the creases and set it out in front of me, watching, first in shock, then in bemusement at the tiny little footsteps wandering around the castle.

"James...What aren't you telling me?"

He smirked. "I shall tell thou a tale, a tale of wonder and adventure, of mystery and intrigue, of romance and passion-"

"-JAMES!"

"Sorry. Well, I don't know if you can remember back to our first three years at Hogwarts, bathed as it was, in the mists of time, " I raised my eyebrows at him. "Sirius and I occasionally broke one or two of the less important rules."

I snorted.

"Well maybe more than one or two. Anyway, we decided that enough was enough. We wanted to still have a bit of fun without the hassle of getting caught afterwards."

"Oh yes I can totally see that's fair and reasonable."

"Yeah, well that's what I thought. So we decided to pick Mooney's brains and came up with the idea for a map. The Marauder's Map."

"Why do you call him Mooney." I interrupted.

"Ahh, 'tis a long and thrilling tale that I cannot do justice to know, in the wee hours of the morning."

I poked him and he carried on.

"So for many months we learned all we could about the castle, night wanderings, skipping class, picking everybody's brains we could about legends and the castles history until we had comprised the most accurate map of Hogwarts ever drawn."

"An you never got caught? All that time, wandering around the castle and you never got caught?"

"Well, it does help if you can become invisible."

"Huh?"

"You work it out, everyone goes on about how you're the smartest witch of the year."

I sat for a few moments lost in thought, then it suddenly dawned on me. "You've got an invisibility cloak!"

"Got it in one. It was my dad's and I sort of nicked it when I came to Hogwarts in First Year.

"'Sort of' or 'nicked it'?"

"Oh very funny, do you want to hear the tale or not."

I nodded and snuggled into him.

"So we had this map which was very well and good until Wormy almost got caught by Filch on a kitchen run and we realised something had to me done. It was my idea though to enchant it so that every living, and some dead too I suppose, person in this castle could be seen. It took weeks of experimenting but eventually it worked. But it also worked in a different way too. Now when students leave and new ones come it recognises them. Whoever is in Hogwarts, not matter what they look like to the human eye this Map can see them for what they really are. Polyjuice potion or invisibility cloak, it's all part of the magic."

"Wow. That's amazing."

"Always the tone of surprise." He nuzzled my ear.

"Don't tell me you're too insulted to want your Christmas present?"

"You got me a prezzie? Let me see, let me see!"

"Down boy, I don't know if I ought really, I mean, it's not fair to the others to make them wait, though technically it is Christmas morning." I teased, then squeaked as he dived on top of me, tickling me without mercy.

"Stop, No! PLEASE," I gasped, "Stop! You can have it I swear. Here."

I passed him the oblong package I'd hidden in my robes and he fell on it, tearing the paper open like a toddler.

When he saw the book bound in red leather he flicked it open and as he turned the pages his confused face turned to a grin. He kissed my cheek, then carried looking through the photos I'd collected from everyone I knew throughout our years at Hogwarts.

"I've enchanted it so there'll always be room for more pictures without getting really thick and heavy. Do you like it? I mean, I just thought you might but-"

He kissed me on the lips and I could feel his lips smiling under my own.

"It's perfect."

We kissed for a few moments, then I finally dragged my face away and stood, gathering up our stuff.

As we strolled back to Gryffindor Tower, occasionally darting in a deserted classroom to avoid ghosts and teachers. (All thanks to James's amazing map.) we made it back to the Tower without mishap, or at least until we reached the portrait hole where we found the Fat Lady engaged in a loud battle of wits against Peeves.

"Oh Merlin, what do we do now?" I whispered but James strolled out into the open without so much as a backwards glance and after a few seconds of dithering I followed him.

"STUDENT'S OUT OF BED ON THE-"

"Peeves, if you don't shut up and move on straight away I am going to personally curse so badly that you can only do good things for an entire month."

"-SEVENTH FLOOR!"

"I did warn you." He sighed and pointed his wand at Peeves, muttering something under his breath.

Immediately a smell, so bad I almost passed out, erupted from the end of James's wand straight at Peeves. But if the smell had seemed terrible to me, the effect it had on Peeves was a hundred times worse.

He swooped away, wheezing and panting, clutching his throat like he was being poisoned.

"It'll stick to him for a month, getting stronger when he causes mischief."

I took the proffered hand and clambered through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady seemed so relieved that Peeves was gone, she didn't even ask what we doing out of the Tower at almost three in the morning. She swung closed behind us and we started across the deserted common room to the staircases leading to the dormitories.

"Happy Christmas James." I gave him a lingering kiss, savouring his lips, then stepped back, smiling.

"Happy Christmas. Oh, I almost forgot, your present." He thrust the tiny package into my hands then took the stairs two at a time, vanishing out of sight.

I slowly pulled at the ribbon and let the paper fall open. There was a tiny green box inside with a small clasp which I unfastened. Inside was a tiny silver bracelet with three tiny little charms soldered onto the chain links. A tiny book; a lily and a miniature castle which, even at a glance, I could see was Hogwarts.

"Oh James, " I whispered, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. "It's beautiful."

And so saying I too vanished up the staircase to my dormitory, the delicate silver charm bracelet, securely fastened at my wrist.

**Worth the wait? Please let me know what you thought!**

**R&R!**


	39. sweet, sicklyand utterly delicious

**I'm sorry if this chapters a little soppy for you, I was in a soppy mood. And cheesy too!**

"Your sister's a bitch."

"That's pretty much what Jazz said." I sniffled. James glanced at me, then at the sodden letter I was shredding between my fingers.

"Jazz is one of the clearest thinking people I know."

"And the most scary."

He smiled ruefully, "That too."

I nestled into his shoulder, just listening to the sound of his breathing.

" I just thought...That maybe after all this time, she wouldn't hate me so much." I said finally, hating the way my voice broke half way through. "She's too good for Vernon, she deserves some nice guy who'll treat her right, not Vernon the Walrus."

"Vernon the _Walrus_?"

I giggled slightly, then hiccupped loudly. "She started dating him around Christmas of Fourth Year, just when he'd decided that all _'proper men'_ had to have a beard. He tried the beard but the results weren't exactly pretty so he decided a moustache would be better. I must have been, erm, my birthday's January 30th so...not yet twelve? And em, well, I wasn't the most mature twelve year old at home. Always accidentally turning teacups into toads and stuff. Anyway, I nicknamed him the Walrus. And it sort of stuck."

James laughed, "Brilliant, do you think I'd look good with a beard?"

"Stubbles more sexy," I leaned over and brushed my lips against his.

"HA! You think I'm sexy! You think I'm sexy!"

"I do not, I just said stubble was sexy not that you are."

"You meant my stubble." He smirked, "It's okay to admit it Lily, I know you find me irresistible."

"I do not." Well I did, but his head was plenty big enough without me telling him as much.

He mock growled and wrestled me to the floor.

"Do you find me irresistible?" He kissed the skin behind my ear.

"Nope."

"Do you?" His lips found my neck.

"No..."

"You don't sound sure." My neck seemed to be burning as he trailed his mouth upwards, barely touching my skin, breath cool.

"I'm..._Oh Merlin_," His lips brushed my eyelids, my cheekbones, my hair.

"Say it." His hands were in my hair, supporting the back of my neck.

"Uh..." I couldn't breathe. Everywhere his lips had touched was on fire, searing into me.

"Kiss me."

Our lips met, gentle, yet persuasive and then-"

-o-x-o-

Lily flushed scarlet, "Anyway, you don't need to know all that."

I smirked at her, then rolled back onto the bed I was lounging on and stared up at the ceiling. A lot of things now made sense. But one thing still didn't quite compute...

"Jazz's dating a Slytherin?"

Lily nodded, "Uh-huh. And she was really stressed out that you'd all disown her or something if you found out. I mean, Max's family have been in Gryffindor for as long as anyone can remember and she's her best friend."

"Hmmm. I dunno, Max is pretty lax about that sort of thing right? I mean, sure we hate the Slytherin's on principal, but if it's what Jazz really wants...Who is it by the way?"

"John Caldish."

"The tall skinny one with the ponytail?"

"That's the chappy"

"Could be worse."

"Definitely. " She rolled over onto her stomach and stared at me. "So what happens now?"

"Now," I said, pulling out my wand and waving it in a sweeping motion so that the many piles of clothes, text books and old pieces of parchment soared into the air and deposited themselves, albeit untidily, into my open trunk which was standing at the foot of my bed. "We pack."

"We _pack?_" Lily looked nonplussed.

"You _are_ coming to mine for Easter aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah sure." She made the same sweeping motion and all of her neatly tidied away belonging folded themselves into her trunk. I scowled in mock anguish, then headed for the door.

"Come on, let's face the music."

"Oh the Joy," she muttered, but she followed me anyway.

-o-o-o-

The next dawn warm, sunny and panic-stricken.

"Jazz! Calm down. I just need a straight answer. Are you coming back to mine for Easter or are you going back to India?"

"I'MAGODMOTHERI'MAGODMOTHERI'MA-"

"Yes, we know that." I felt like banging my head against a brick wall. Trying to get through to Jazz when she's like this is worse that root canal work by a blind dentist. (Lily's metaphor, not mine)

Apparently, one of Jazz's oldest friend, Geena I think, has just had a baby girl and asked Jazz to be Godmother. I've never seen Jazz so excited, even when her mother opened up Star ducks in Hogsmede.

"Leave it Arty," Max advised, hooking an arm through Jazz's and beginning to lead her to the train. "You won't get anything out of her until she's had a cold bath. I'll look after her."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks."

-0-0-0-

I'd been surprised at just how well Max was taking it actually. But then again, Max did come from one of...seven? children so maybe she just had a less stressed outlook on life. You can't have that many siblings and still take everything head on. You'd be in St Mungo's within a week.

The only action she had taken however, was to walk up the John Caldish and poke her beaters bat in his stomach.

"Yeah, I'm her best friend. Break her heart and I'll break your face."

He'd looked, and rightly so, terrified.

-o-o-o-

So it was only Lily and I and the boys who were coming back to the Cottage for Easter. Lizzie was going back to her parents and Alice was going to France with Frank. (cue Awwwwww)

Jazz was flying to India (by plane not broomstick) and Max was Apparating down to London about some try-outs for the Holy-Head Harpies.

I'd been surprised that Remus and Peter had wanted to come actually. But then again, it wasn't the full moon for three full weeks and we'd be back at school for then and my mum's chocolate gateau is famous.

I leant back in my seat and watched Lily thrashing James at Exploding Snap.

Life, most definitely, was good.


	40. Heading Home

"Mum! MUM!" I cannoned into her at high speed, tripped over Peter's bag and crashed headlong into a wall. Luckily it was the exit into the Muggle World so I just kept going, startling some grungy looking boys waiting for the four eleven on Platform 9. I leaned back on the wall as casually as possible and slid back through to join the wizards and witches who were howling with laughter. I went red but laughed along anyway and wrapped my arms around my mum, breathing in her familiar smell.

She looked tired but simply radiant and was holding hands with Martin. Her bump was huge. Today her hair was blond and short but had the same deep chocolate eyes that I did. She was also quite a few inches shorter so that I towered over her and was wearing her sunglasses on top of her head.

"Arty, honey! Have you had a good term?"

I nodded and dragged Lily forwards. My mum hugged her too and Lily flushed slightly but held her tight. Sirius jerked his head over to a quiet corner and I followed him just out earshot.

"Are you sure you can't come home with us now?"

He nodded, his eyes serious, "I have to pick some stuff up, besides-" He pulled on his back pack, "-I've got my bike so I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed me fleetingly on the lips, then strolled back to my mum, wheeling his motorbike.

"Thank you for the invite." He said politely, shaking hands with Martin and then with my mum. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Mum nodded, when I'd written back to her a few days ago I'd told her that Sirius wanted to go back to his flat right at the beginning of the holidays for some stuff.

"We'll see you tomorrow in time for dinner then."

"Yeah, see you."

He vanished out of sight through a brick wall.

"Strange boy, " Martin said before shouldering my bag and picking up my trunk, leading the way out into the Muggle station.

"How we getting home?" I asked.

Mum smiled, "I set up a Portkey from that disused convenience store which will be going in about four minutes." She checked her gold watch. "My mistake, three and a half minutes. We'd better go. We followed her through the heaving station and out into the heart of London.

The convenience store was covered in graffiti and had a litter of old cans lying in the blocked gutter, gathering flies. The main window was white-washed and smeary, covered in hand prints and had the words To Let painted on a battered sign hanging from a lopsided beam riddled with woodworm holes. It also had muggle repelling charms all over it.

"Used to be a safe house before You-Know-Who's followers found out about it and tore it to pieces. Still, it's safe enough for our purpose." Mum explained, pushing aside the Do Not Enter sign and tapping the bolted door with her wand, causing it to swing open with an alarming creak then sag sadly on its single, rusty hinge.

We stared around for a few moments then: "There it is." Remus pointed to an old trainer, lying on its side in a puddle of rainwater that had obviously leaked through the ceiling.

"Come on then, quickly! It's about to go." I grabbed one of the laces, all the luggage making it difficult to all fit.

"Three, two, one."

I felt the invisible hook just behind my naval and a second later we were all sprawled on the golden sand, the cottage just over the next ridge. Mum and Martin's descent had been a little more dignified than ours, they had landed on their feet and were strolling serenely towards as though they had just come back from a picnic not just travelled half-way across the country faster than you can say _'improbable'. _ Not that that in its self was surprising. All my youth Mum had been Apparating and catching Portkeys all around the world for her job.

Remus offered me his hand and hauled me to my feet, just as Lily stumbled in James's arms.

"Smooth moves Potter." Remus smiled, then hauled Peter to his feet and waved his wand so all the luggage vanished.

"I just dumped in the garden, is that all right?" He asked mum, "The enchantments you've got around the house won't let me get them any closer.

She smiled, "No problem. I was just going to suggest- Ow!"

"Mum? What's wrong?"

She waved it off with an airy hand, then rested them on the small of her back to relieve the weight of her pregnancy.

"It's nothing, just a kick. Probably from the portkey. I think I'll just go and lie down though. You kids enjoy yourself and dinner will be at seven."

She took Martin's extended arm and slowly set off down the beach, taking careful, even steps. I stared after her worriedly, then felt Lily at my arm.

"She'll be fine. The last three months are always the worst."

I nodded thoughtfully. "How do you know?" I teased, then yelled, "Race you down to the water. Last one there's a stinking Bowtruckle!"

As we pounded through the sand and felt the cool surf teasing our ankles I couldn't resist one glance over my shoulder at the cottage. Green smoke was curling out of the chimney in the shape of a smile.


	41. Trouble with a capitol T

**There will be the appearance of a much loved character in this chapter and plenty of cooking. ENJOY!**

"Arty! Can you get the door?" I glanced up from where I was sat on my bedroom floor, painting Lily's toenails with colour changing polish and bellowed back: "What?" as Lily, toes now finished, flicked her wand at my wireless that was standing on a crooked dresser in the corner. It let out an indignant squawk and fell silent.

"I said," Mum appeared, panting slightly, in the open doorway, "Can you go downstairs and open the door? I would but I've only just got up here and I really can't face going back down."

"Sure." I clambered unsteadily to my feet, shaking out the cramp. Lily stood as well and clambered onto the bed where James was sprawled, reading yesterday's Daily Prophet. He, almost unconsciously, moved to wrap his arm around her, pulling her against himself and she settled into him with a contented sigh. I felt a pang of jealousy but squashed it. Man I was having serious Sirius withdrawal symptoms.

Remus caught my eye from where he was reading, sat on my window seat, and gave me a comforting smile. I grinned back and headed for the stairs.

"Hey! Arty, try this."

I had just reached the door and turned, lifting the latch behind my back as Peter emerged out of the kitchen, carrying a large baking tray full of cup cakes.

"Whoa! They look amazing!"

Peter had almost completely taken over the kitchen since my mother had found out last night how much he enjoyed cooking. Since then there had been a full English at breakfast, soup and fresh, crusty rolls, still warm from the oven at lunch and as much cake as we could eat. The waistband of my jeans had been uncomfortably tight all day.

"Have one." He held out the tray and I took one, stuffing a large bite into my mouth, closing my eyes in bliss. I think Peter was slightly embarrassed by my look of ecstasy because he scuttled back into the kitchen, a little red around the ears.

I turned, smiling slightly to walk straight into a solid wall of warm chest.

"OOF!" I said and rocketed backwards, landing with splat on my backside. Sirius burst out laughing at me. "Ooh," I rubbed my bottom like it was about to fall off.

"Hey babes." He yanked me of my feet and kissed me hello. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"Um, Sirius?"

"Wha-?" We broke apart, panting slightly.

"That was some welcome. Arty, this is Squirt."

"Excuse me?" I looked down to see a little girl of around five with impossibly bright blue hair and large grey hair like Sirius's. "Hey! Who are you?"

"I'm Tonks." She said firmly, sticking out her hand. I took, raising my eyebrows.

Sirius explained: "She's Nymphadora Tonks. She's my favourite cousin's little girl."

"I'm not little! And don't call me Nymphadora."

"Sorry Squirt." He leaned down to ruffle her blue locks, which promptly turned bright bubblegum pink.

"Cool trick!" I smiled, wondering if my Mum had ever done that at that age. Once I could've imagined it but now I wasn't sure, she had looked the same for almost as long as I could remember now-Blonde hair, streaked with grey and my dark brown eyes. I squatted down in front of her: "So, Tonks, how old are you?"

She puffed out her chest. "Five and eleven months."

"Wow!" I stood up. "Not that I'm not delighted to meet her, but why is she here? Just out of interest."

Sirius sighed. "I was just wondering if she could crash here for a couple of days, just 'til we head back to school. It's just, well, her Dad's Muggleborn and they're talking of going into hiding. Aunty Andre just needs a couple of days to set up the arrangements and asked if I could look after her. It doesn't matter if it's a problem, I can just-"

"Shhh." I put a finger to his lips. "Of course she can stay, it's no problem. We'll have to share rooms though."

"Is that an invitation?" He smirked at me, sliding an arm round my waist. I pushed him away, half-hearted, and let an unwilling giggle escape.

"Not you, you half-wit. Me, Lily and Tonks. You up for midnight feasts Kiddo?"

"Yeah! Sirius, go get my stuff."

"I like her." I announced.

He scowled: "I'm sure you do. You two are going to be trouble I can just tell."

"That's why you love me. Come on, I'm sure we can tear Lily and James apart long enough to say hello."

He grabbed my hand, but Tonks elbowed her way in, sliding one grubby and into my own and one into Sirius's. "Though the way they've been for the last couple of weeks I think that may be difficult."

I nodded. "Who would have imagined?"

"Remus."

"What!"

"I owe him ten galleons. He always said that they'd finally get together."

"Smart kid that Remus."

"Yeah, smart kid."

**So, here you go. Another Chapter, just laying the scene for the holiday and the wedding, hope you enjoyed:)**

**Let me know!**


	42. weddings, haircuts and blue satin

**Hello, sorry for the delay since the last update, I have no excuse other than my own laziness. The weddings coming up so let me know what you think:) **

The day before the wedding dawn bright and early with my screams.

"SIRIUS!" I screeched, racing into the kitchen, dressed only in a towel. My hair was dripping over one shoulder, long...And undeniably green.

"Whoa!" Sirius's eyes were like saucers as he ran them over me. I could almost feel him undressing me with his eyes and flushed scarlet despite my fury.

"How DARE you spike my sham-" _-poo with extra-strong green sap_ I finished in my head.

"Cor," James cut in, "You're green."

I breathed heavily in through my nostrils, held it for a moment, then spat it back out. "No shit Sherlock."

Peter had a confused expression on his face as he scratched his chin. "Why are you green?"

Clenching my fists I pointed directly into Sirius's laughing face. "Ask HIM!"

"Arty honey, we're back - Oh my sweet Merlin what happened?" My mother stood in the doorway, holding hands with Martin on one side and little Tonks on the other; her mouth hanging open.

"Sirius-spiked-my-shampoo-with-everlasting-green-sap-which-dyed-me-hair-this-horrible-colour!" I wailed, all in one breath without stopping. My mother just stared at me, obviously not having understood a single word.

"Sirius-" I said again, attempting this time to use words with less than two syllables, "-spiked my-"

But I was cut off as my mother dropped her husband to be and Tonks' hand, and raced around the table to pull me into a tight hug. "Oh darling, I always wondered but never dared hope...But now, oh darling!"

"What?" I stammered.

She released me from the imprisonment of her arms and stepped back. Her smile dimmed a couple of molars. "Your metamorphic genes are finally here."She said, sounding confused.

_Oh crap._

"Oh, erm, no! No. Not at all. Actually what happened was-"

"Ah, I remember the first time I changed my hair colour. I must have been, ooh, seventeen years younger than you but then again, you've always been a late developer..."

She prattled on, not noticing the flush, that had only previously graced my cheeks, was now creeping down my neck.

"Mum," I said, slightly more firmly than I intended to. "Stop."

Amazingly, my sharp tone worked and she did. I took a deep breath and tried to explain.

"My hair isn't green because I'm a metamorphmagus because I'm not one and, honestly? I think the genes would have come out way before now. No my hair is green because someone dyed it that way."

"But honey? Why on earth, would you willingly change your hair to that colour? It looks like a particularly unpleasant shad of vomit."

"Gee thanks Mum," I said sarcastically, "That's really what I need to hear right now."

"It's the truth," She protested.

"It was Sirius. In fact, it's always Sirius."

"Siriusly." James told my mother with a perfectly straight face.

"You're not helping," I snapped, "Lily, control your boyfriend."

"You think I can Siriusly control James?" She asked, her face pulled into an expression of consternation.

"Urgh, enough with the Siriusly jokes already!" I moaned and buried my face in my hands.

"Yeah, Siriusly," Remus agreed, "It's getting on my nerves."

I let out a loud, anguished cry and left the room. It was just too hard to be dignified dress only in a towel, with green hair and a red face.

-o-

"I still can't believe, I'm letting you do this to me." I whined, from the chair in front of the mirror on my bureau.

Tonks told me to be quiet and I fell silent. After almost a week with Tonks around I could tell when it was just easier to go with her. Tonks had that brand of pig-headed stubbornness that meant, instead of running away from conflict like any normal person, she sped towards it and then overtook it entirely.

And I didn't need any more stress right now. Not with the wedding less than four hours away and my mother a nervous wreck, alternatively driving everybody crazy by organising every single detail from the confetti (which it wasn't too late to change) to the seating plan (which was) and crying noisily in her bedroom every few minutes when something went wrong.

That was what was happening now. After chipping a nail trying to move the kitchen table a little more to the left (to add to that bistro effect) and my, helpfully intended but not the right thing to say at the time, comment about how she could just metamorph it back, she'd collapsed in a chair, tears streaming down her face. I'd cast a panicked look at Martin who had walked into the kitchen at that moment, the tent man beside him, and he'd smiled reassuringly at me before leading my mother upstairs to lie down.

I had thought it was better, after that bungled attempt to help, to stay out of the way and had been waylaid by Lily on the stairs. She had taken one look at my face, which I guess must have looked pretty guilty, and whisked me off to my bedroom where Tonks was waiting, what looked like a hairdressing salon behind her.

So now I was sat, eyes tightly shut as Lily picked up the scissors and opened and closed them a few times before reaching up and picking up a lock of my hair. A second pasted, then I heard the unmistakable sound of a snip. I swallowed.

"Perhaps this isn't such as good idea." I said, without opening my eyes.

"Are you doubting my hairdressing skills?" Lily asked. There was another snip and another lock fell to the ground.

"It's just, I haven't had my hair cut since, well, ever practically."

"Yes, and have you seen the disgraceful state of it? You must have at least three-thousand split ends. Now, be quiet and let me concentrate or you'll end up with it way shorter than I mean."

When Lily had finally finished, she told me to get into the shower to wash away all the tiny hairs that had fallen down my neck and were tickling like crazy. I didn't dare look in the bathroom mirror as I turned on the water and stepped into the shower. My head felt strangely light and my fringe, that had always previously been hanging in my eyes, was gone.

When I got back to the room, dressed in a bathrobe, Lily had swept up the hair and told me to sit down before expertly drying and styling my hair into some semblance of a style.

"Open your eyes." She told me and, after a pause, I did.

My face was staring back at me but the thick hair that usually dripped down my back was gone. Instead, the curls only just reached my chest, framing my face and making my cheekbones seem sharper. My long hair, with its boring style, had always made me look childish, like a twelve year old who'd had a stretching spell put on them but now I looked older.

"Whoa."

Lily, who I could see in the mirror behind me was beaming. She stuffed a cup of coffee into my hand and surveyed her handiwork as I took a sip. She reached out a hand and smoothed a wayward curl then walked over to the bed where she picked up a make-up bag. I blanched, but only slightly then turned my head, staring at the dress hung on the back of the door.

The light blue satin seemed to be rippling slightly as the light caught it, the darker sash hanging beside it. My mother had chosen to only have two bridesmaids. Myself and my soon to be sister-in-law, Rhoda. She was around seven years my senior, in her middle twenties, with looks very much like her Muggle brother, tanned skin, light hair and eyes. The complete opposite to me, with my white skin and dark eyes. I think that that had been my mother's plan. The total contrast and yet connected too, through her.

Now, as Lily began to dust blusher across my cheeks, I kept my eyes on the dress and watched the light glint across it like water.

**So there we have it, a new chapter after all this time.**

**R&R please!**


	43. Dawn

**I apologise for the wait it's been so terribly long ! but the new chapters here now and hopefully it was worth the wait.**

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through all of this by the way - everyone who has favourite-d or alerted or reviewed! THANK YOU**

**-o-**

"My Dear! Why aren't you ready yet?" Rhoda burst into my small, cluttered room, already dressed in her long blue bridesmaid robes.

I looked up from where I was helping Lily do the lacings at the back of her dress and smiled at my almost-sister-in-law.

"Hey Rhoda, you look nice."

She beamed at me "Thank you darling, but why aren't you ready? You'll be needed down stairs in twenty minutes."

"I know, I was helping mum - she's a nervous wreck you know, so I recommend staying away from here for as long as possible."

"When's the baby due again?" Lily asked, expertly applying lipstick to her bottom lip.

"June 21st." I reeled off, picking up my coffee cup and taking a final gulp.

"Which leaves..." Lily started to mentally count through the weeks.

"-Entirely too long until she's back to normal." Rhoda finished.

"About two months." I said, setting the mug back onto the dressing table and smoothing down my blue robes. "And it's only gonna get worse from now on."

Lily mock groaned but I could feel Rhoda's eyes on me.

"You do know that your hair is slightly green don't you?" She asked.

I had managed to get the green to fade almost back to its original brown with a mixture of heavy duty grease-remover shampoo and Remus's charms but my hair still looked suspiciously vomit coloured at the roots and tips. Even with Lily's expert hair style it was impossible to hide it completely.

I touched a curl self consciously and nodded, "Yeah, Everlasting green sap."

Rhoda laughed, then on seeing my face, hastily stopped. "Come here darling."

I walked over to her and she pulled out her wand. She flicked it at my hair and my head felt very heavy for a second. Then, like paint trickling down a wall, the sap ran out of my hair and vanished into nothingness. I ran to the mirror and admired my chocolate coloured locks again with a new found appreciation.

"Thank you!" I wrapped my arms around Rhoda and she hugged me back, somehow managing to avoid my bony elbows.

"Your boyfriend is obviously more trouble than he's worth." She said.

"Oh I'll get him trained one day, it just takes time." I replied, then after gesturing to Lily and Rhoda to step through the door before me, closed the bedroom door and followed them downstairs.

-o-

The beach was packed with people. I could my aunty sitting on the front row, facing straight ahead, a lace handkerchief being wrung, almost unconsciously, between her fingers. Next to her, I could see my elderly Grandmother who had a smile on her vague face, white curly hair springing out madly from beneath her hat. The rest of the front seats where filled with Martin's large family - his parents and muggle relations.

The contrast between my mother's tiny family and her soon-to-be-husband's giant one was startling. Martin's family took up three rows of seats, all beaming around and chatting the wizards and witches around them. One of them, (Martin's uncle I thought) had a wand between his fingers and was making silver music notes fly out of the end. Apparently Rhoda wasn't the only magical being in the family.

Behind the two families stretch the rows of friends and acquaintances. I watched as Lily and James, then Sirius, Remus and Peter slid into their seats, all clutching the silver seating plans they had been using to usher guests to their places as the first notes of music began to play.

I pulled back and hurried over to where my mother was stood, looking beautiful in her white gown, hair magically morphed into a coiffure with a few loose strands framing her face. She looked anxious, alternatively biting her nails, then growing them back only to repeat the procedure again.

I caught her hand in mine and clasped it tight.

"It's time." I said and she took a deep breath and nodded. I kissed her on the cheek and smiled down at her, her hand resting on her bump. I placed my own hand there too, feeling the smallest amount of movement, a infinitesimal shifting of the new life my mother was carrying inside her. My little brother or sister suddenly kicked out and we both felt it through skin and flesh and womb. My mother's eyes met mine and then she turned and, with me and Rhoda following, began the long walk between her friends and family to her new life and to the man she loved who was waiting for her, to pull her through to the new dawn.

**So here, we go, another chapter - hope is wasn't too deep, let me know:)**

**R&R pleasepleaseplease!**


	44. John Di Angelo

**Sorry for the delay, but another chapters here now. This one's quite deep - I was in a weird mood when I thought of it but I figured as the characters near the end of Hogwarts, they're going to be sucked into the war too right and this story ought to pay homage to that. Let me know what you think:)**

John Di Angelo

"Lily! Have you seen my charms- oh! Sorry, hang on I'll just..." I trailed off and stood helplessly in the doorway to my bedroom where Lily was hastily pulling on her jumper and James was desperately trying to locate his glasses then turned tail and fled.

The cottage was in chaos. Despite the fact that we had only been there for two weeks, our possessions had spread themselves out on all three rickety floors, secreting themselves behind sofas and chairs or down the back of cupboards. My sketchbook somehow had reappeared inside the piano and Lily had discovered her favourite lipstick tucked away in the lightshade in my room along with one of James shoes (I didn't ask).

Because of this, the evening before we were due to apparate back to the disused safe house just outside King's Cross to catch the Hogwart's Express back to school for our final term was hectic to say the least and I did not need Lily and James making out in the guest bedroom that had been shared by Peter, Remus, Sirius and James for the duration of their stay. Mind you, I'd had a hard time staying away from Sirius that morning when Lily had been packing up all of her stuff. Ever the practical one she had advised everyone to pack early so we wouldn't need to rush the next morning.

I had been too busy 'swimming' with Sirius in the sea to take much notice of her advise which was probably foolish of me but I felt I deserved a little me time after the wedding. The six of us would be the only ones heading up to London tomorrow as the newlyweds had taken a Portkey to the South of France for their honeymoon on the evening of their marriage and young Tonks had been picked up by her mother, a pretty women with tired eyes, the previous afternoon.

Remus had looked slightly relieved to see her go, something we all delighted in teasing him about. Tonks had been his shadow and Remus, once he had gotten over the shock of being her favourite person, had been happy enough to look after her now and then. She was good for him, with her wacky hair and ear to ear grin. I knew that Remus still felt the loss of his sister deeply but he'd loosened up with her happy-go-please attitude to life.

I went into my room and sat down on my bed, trying to mentally catalogue everything I would need for the final term. Blimey, that was scary - I could still remember with surprising clarity things that had happened to me, everything from scraping my knee that first time on the platform to our O.W.L.s and the panic of revision to that wonderful, terrifying night that Sirius and I had first kissed. It made me feel so old.

I had never really thought of myself as particularly childlike, growing up, but now looking back I could see that I was a child really. Not even when I'd come of age had I felt any inclination to actually _do_ anything with my life. It was as though Hogwarts had stretched out forever and now that it was drawing to a close my life was catching up with me.

You-Know-Who was out there somewhere. Waiting, biding his time. Growing more powerful. My foolish claim about wanting to join the Order of the Phoenix seemed so silly now - I'd had no idea what it would be like, really being out there, fighting him. I still didn't really. The Order had been a romantic adventure, not really dangerous. He Who Must Not Be Named had been a shadow, a cartoon villain.

My mother had taken me aside just before she was to catch her portkey and led me into the quiet sitting room and asked me to sit down. I was still wearing my beautiful blue dress, though I'd let my hair down. My mother was in her going away dress and was glowing with happiness though her smile now was more serious, not quite reaching her eyes.

"Arty," She said, "I need to tell you something."

I joked, "I hope it's nothing too serious."

The smile had slipped completely at that.

"I need to tell you what happened to your father."

I froze.

My mother continued, not quite looking at me, her eyes instead flittering around the room.

"Your father, he-" She paused, collecting her thoughts then tried again. "We-"

"Mum, you don't have to," I interrupted, "This isn't the time, you're about to go on your honeymoon and I don't care, it's all in the past-"

She cut me off this time. "No, I have to tell you. You deserve to know the truth." She reached out and wrapped her hands around my suddenly cold ones. Half of men wanted to stuff my fingers into my ears and run around singing 'La la la la, I can't hear you', like I would have done as a five year old, but the other half, the more prominent half, was betraying me - wanting to know.

"Artemis." My mother's voice was so serious. Low too, and for some reason that scared me more than anything else ever had. More than when I found out what Remus was, or being pushed around by those Muggles at primary school as a small child, or even the threat of You Know Who.

So she told me. Told me how my father had been in Albania all those years ago, chasing for a story about some rare creature for his magazine and been killed by Lord Voldemort just for getting in the way.

"I was pregnant with you, so I didn't go with him as I normally would, oh Arty I'm so, so sorry." She gathered me into her arms and I wrapped mine around her numbly. Tears were streaming down her face but my mind was strangely blank.

So now, seated in my room, I stared off into the near distance, I thought more seriously than I had ever done before. Despite my light-hearted ways, despite the fact that I had never truly hated anyone in my life, I could feel something bubbling up from the pit of my stomach.

Anger.

Directly or not, You Know Who had cost me not only my father but my childhood friend Ben too. He had ruined Lily's friendship with Severus Snape, had torn Sirius away from his family and taken poor Remus' sister.

Now, I felt older, for the first time in my life - like a little of the laughter had gone out of me but now I knew what I had to do. I was going to join the Order of the Phoenix and I was not going to rest until I had done everything in my power to make them pay for all the suffering and pain caused, for all the innocents murder and all the families torn apart.

It didn't matter what I wanted anymore because in war you have to make sacrifices, you have to give things up for the greater good and now I didn't care what it would cost - I would make Lord Voldemort pay for what he had cost me and my family and friends.


	45. Below the Deeps

It seemed as though we'd been back at school forever when in reality it was barely the end of May. My mother had returned from her honeymoon, rested, tanned and happy, her bump seeming bigger than ever. Lily and James were still going strong and driving everybody crazy with their soppy moods and soulful glances. Sirius and I were still quite happily bumbling along with the occasional dustup but most surprisingly of all were Jazz and John Caldish who were not only still together, but blissfully happy with it.

The sun, perhaps sensing that it was time for summer to begin, had broken through the layer of grey clouds that had been sculling around the castle for a few days now. It was making the lake dance and I wanted more than almost anything to be out there swimming in the sunshine. Still, more evenings than not, I found myself in a dark corner of the library poring over textbooks or testing myself on poison antidotes or reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood under my breathe, fingers stuffed into my ears.

By nature I was lazy. Throughout my O.W.L.s I had procrastinated, putting off my revision again and again until I finally just flicked through some of my notes the week before my exams. I was clever enough to pull decent grades without trying so I didn't bother - getting mainly 'A's, a couple of 'E's and, incredibly, an Outstanding in Astronomy which had always been my favourite lesson and one of the only classes I actually worked hard for.

This time round, however, I was working. Revising harder than anything else I had ever done in my life. I couldn't say I was enjoying it because I wasn't, most of the time I hated it, wanting to be drawing or swimming or spending time with Sirius. But in less than three weeks time exams would be over and I would be free. Free for summer to begin. It was all about the bigger picture. I get the grades now - I get the cool job and get to do what I want.

So when I woke up at three minutes past four that sunny Tuesday morning I knew that In should either roll over and get some more sleep so I could work late that evening, or that I ought to hit the books for a bit before class. In the end though, I did neither. I got dressed, slipped out of the dormitory, shoes in hand, and headed for the portrait hole.

Part of being me is the water thing. I can't help it. Being away from water for me is like the worst case of dehydration you can imagine. Even being on dry land for just the last two weeks had already brought me out in spots and a permanent headache. I kept having dizzy spells, my hair was greasy and my eyes ached when I shut them like my tear ducts weren't producing enough liquid to lubricate them.

So at a little before four fifteen in the morning I sprinted across the grounds, kicked of my shoes and dives head-first into the cool water. Imagine having been living in the jungle for a year, without being able to wash, or clean your teeth, then being offered a long, hot shower with shampoo and soap and a warm towel for afterwards. That is what it felt like diving into the lake. I could almost feel all the impurities in my body flowing away.

I often wondered, at times like these when I was just floating, what would happen if I couldn't get back into the water for some reason. Would I just dry out like a jellyfish left out in the sun? Would my skin shrivel like a figs or would I simply evaporate like so much hot water?

For a while I just floated, letting the currents pull me around until my head had cleared. I opened my eyes and began to swim. A couple of Gringylows were nearby, their voices high pitched. I listened to them for a while but soon moved on as they were speaking far too quickly for me to gather anything of their conversation other than that 'They' were coming. Deeper down, the weeds were thicker and when I spotted the end of the rock face and the steep dive down to the very centre of the lake I didn't even look behind me before kicking my feet free from the last of the weed and angling myself downwards.

I told myself afterwards it was the voices I could hear ahead that made me go deeper with such reckless abandonment. I knew full well though that it wasn't. I was intoxicated down there, giddy with the freedom of being alone and able to do what I wished, free from the restraints that a normal human would have.

The voices were high, haunting in their capacity and as I swam forward they grew stronger, drawing me closer. I knew where I was going now. I'd been this deep only twice before and both times I'd seen them. The first time from a distance, the second, far closer up.

The mer surrounded me, their yellow eyes and broken teeth glinting slightly in the gloom. Up close to them, I could see how their environment had adapted them to be the perfect predators and I felt clumsy, like a baby trying to run before it could walk. Underwater my body adapts to help: my pupils become larger, almost blotting out my irises so I can see in almost complete dark. My feet lengthen and flatten slightly and small webs grow between my fingers. Slashed gills appear on my neck but the biggest changes are the ones I can't see. My lungs harden, my bones become more flexible so the pressure doesn't kill me.

The mer are beautiful though, in an unearthly, scary sort of way.

One of them approached me. A male, he must have topped seven feet and had a long grey-green beard floating in front of. His yellow eyes took me in for a moment then he gestured to the my escorts who, with a flick of their powerful tails, vanished into the darkness. I looked at him and I realised that he must be their leader as a band of string and small stones encircled his head and the spear in his hand was larger and more deadly looking than any the others had carried.

"Come." His voice was harsh against the silence of the water and smooth somehow too. I didn't know if he was speaking English or if I was understanding Mermish as easily as I could understand all the languages under the surface and it didn't matter really. I went with him. It never occurred to me to be afraid, I instinctively knew he would not hurt me because, human as I was, I too, was a little like him.


	46. Memories

When I broke the surface the castle was still dark but the birds were making a racket so I guessed it was about six. Soaking wet, I made my way back through the grounds and snuck inside the castle I had made it to the fourth floor before I ran into trouble in the shape of Peeves. Still dripping, I stared around the corner I had hidden behind to see him throwing something at a portrait of an elderly nurse who looked annoyed and was telling Peeves to stop in a voice that seemed far too low for her tiny size.

Crouching down I considered my options. There weren't many. I could either brazen it out and hope that Peeves a.) found me less interesting than terrorising some por nurse (unlikely) and b.) didn't yell for Filch because I was dripping all over the floor (even more unlikely.)

Another option was to wait until Peeves had gone, then head up to change but I decided against this for two reasons. Firstly, the longer I lingered here, the more likely I was to meet Filch or his mangy cat and add a detention to my problems, and secondly, I was freezing. Water may not seem cold to me but wind certainly does and water + wind = Chattering Teeth.

Mine to be precise.

Option three was to send off my little sailing ship to Lily and ask her to bring some dry clothes for me to change into in the girl's bathroom and option four was to send the boat off to Sirius and ask him to distract Peeves long enough for me to sneak by. Both of these options had the same fundament problem. It was six o clock in the morning.

I leant against the wall and rubbed my arms to get the blood going. I was wearing my shoes but, even though they were dry, my feet were wet and felt as though they were about to drop off. Thinking about my predicament wasn't going to help. None of my options looked particularly appealing so I decided to go with the lesser of two evils, barrel past Peeves and hope he didn't notice me. I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the wall with my elbows.

There was a soft grating noise and the wall that had been so obliging as to let me lean on it rolled back, much like the archway in Diagon Alley did. I glanced over my shoulder and gulped. Filch was hurrying up one of the staircases a few floors down, his dumb cat a few steps behind him.

Deciding that of the two, a cold, stone passageway seemed preferable to being on the receiving end of one of Filch's rants, I slipped into the stone passageway and it closed behind me, bricks sliding back into place as if an opening had never been there. I lit my wand and began to climb the stairs.

As I climbed I thought, not about a warm shower and dry clothes or about that days classes, but about what the Mer had told me. I doubled my pace. I needed to get to the Headmaster's office.

-0-

Twenty five minutes later I was sat in front of Professor Dumbledore's desk in dry clothes and with something like a calm expression on my face. He surveyed me as he paced the room, thinking.

"Sir," I said, breaking the silence. "What are we going to do?"

He sat down and put the tips of his fingers together. His bright blue eyes stared at me and I shifting uncomfortably. Even with his kindly smile and half moon spectacles I felt like he was x-raying me.

"I'm not sure." He said finally. "If what the Mer Chief told you is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is attempting to take Hogwarts then all precautions must be taken to stop him."

"Sir," I paused, not wanting to sound impertinent but at the same time wanting an answer, "How do you _know_ that the Mer Chief ton is telling the truth? I mean, how on earth could he know?"

"An ancient race, Arty, rarely reveals all of its secrets. But on this occasion I can shed some light on the subject. If you will follow me please."

I stood up, wandering what was going on. Dumbledore led me to a small alcove where a stone basin was stood. Strange runes were carved into the edge and behind it stood a glass cabinet filled with tiny vials containing...

"What are those, Sir?" I asked staring at the shifting matter. It looked like smoke yet seemed more solid too and was shifting as though it longed to be free.

"Ahh," He leant over the basin and opened the glass cabinet , tracing his long fingers over each tiny bottle before drawing one out and examining it. "These, are memories."

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Who's memory, Sir?"

"A young student by the name of Lynette Waters. She was slightly younger than you when she gave this memory to my predecessor but in many respects you and she are very similar. For example, both of you had the ability to breathe underwater."

I started. "What?" Someone like me? But that was impossible.

"Oh yes." Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly, "I was a new teacher at that point but Miss Waters confided in me and it was I who brought it to the attention of Professor Dippet. She was a remarkable young witch, very talented at transfiguration actually. Now Miss Di Angelo," He uncorked the vial and tipped the contents into the pensieve where it swirled like ink in water, "if you would care to step inside Miss Waters memory with me, I think you will find it most intuitive."

I took a deep breath then bowed my head over the memory and with a slight tug, like I was overbalancing, I fell headlong into sunlight.


	47. Lynette Waters

**So it's so short- the words just weren't flowing today but I thought I shouldn't leave all you wonderful readers on a cliff-hanger for too much longer. Hope you enjoy!**

**Please review**

The sky inside the memory was stained with scarlet and gold, the same colours turning the lake into a shifting fire of burning waves. The sunrise had turned the frost crimson too, so that th whole grounds seemed like gold.

It was that strange time, somewhere between waking and sleeping and only the sun was truly awake breaking through the night with its penetrating gleam making the very air dance.

"Sir," I asked, breaking the silence. "Where are we?"

Professor Dumbledore chuckled.

"I mean, I know we're at Hogwarts, I'm not that dumb. Just.. You know what I mean."

"I assure you, I do not." He smiled at me, his blue eyes twinkling.

I sighed heavily. "When are we?"

"Ahh, an interesting question. The year in 1945, Wednesday the first of November I believe."

"Oh." I cast around for another thing to say. "Why are we here, Sir?"

Professor Dumbledore produced a golden watch from somewhere inside his violet cloak and looked at it then, with a slight of hand, returned it to its original place. "That," He said, beginning to walk over to the small outcrop of rocks that I sometimes use to dive from into the lake, "Should become apparent in exactly two minutes and twenty-six seconds."

I hurried after him, my canvas shoes growing progressively more and more wet with every step through the grass. My hair was still slightly damp from my own swim less than an hour ago (Or thirty three years in the future, depending on your view point) and I should have been shivering, dressed as I was, for summer not November but instead I felt as though it was still twenty five degrees. Even the frost turning my shoes into a soaking puddle wasn't making my feet wet.

Dumbledore stopped when he reached the top of the rocks and gestured me forwards. I walked forwards to join him and stared down at the dark water below.

A girl, slightly younger than me, was sculling herself back and forth just underneath the water's surface, eyes closed. Even from the distance we were from her, I could see that we looked so alike we could have passed for sisters. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she broke the surface, beginning to swim towards the crop of rocks I was stood on. When, a few seconds later, she stood next to me, dripping, I could see that she looked to be about fourteen, skinny but with large feet like me.

Lynette put her hands to her mouth and blew. I could see the magic appearing from her mouth and as it circled her the water evaporated from her clothes and hair.

Self-drying. Who'd have thought?

Her pupils had shrunk back to their normal size as she began to descent back down the rocks but she froze after taking only a step or two. I turned to see what she was staring at and saw Dumbledore making his way up the rock. He was younger than the Dumbledore that stood next to me, his beard was red and he had far less wrinkles and lines on his face. But his nose still was crooked and his eyes, a piercing blue and he was smiling kindly, much the way present Dumbledore smiled at his wayward students.

To an onlooker the scene must have looked so strange, two girls, so identical looking they could have been the same person and their two professors who really were one, stood looking at each other like contestants in some old dance even though, to two of them, the others were invisible.

Young Professor Dumbledore said: "What news does the Mer chief send this time?"

"Just the same, doom, death. Still set for the full moon this Saturday." Lynette replied. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. But then she opened it and spoke.

"Sir, if Grindelwald is truly using the lake to get into Hogwarts- "She paused, obviously trying to word her question correctly, "I mean, how can he possibly know about the enchantments set around the lake? I don't know practically anyone who knows the lake acts as a two way mirror."

Young Dumbledore chuckled. "You forget Miss Waters, that Grindelwald, despite his less than legal ways was once a student of Durmstrang and, despite his young age, competed and won the Triwizard Tournament. That ship of theirs is a remarkable piece of magic."

She nodded thoughtfully, "So when he does come, it _will_ be through the Lake? No other way?"

"No, the rest of the school is too well protected for him to even put his over long nose over the wall. He is arrogant enough to believe I will not stop him from attacking through my own fear of the past." A look of great sadness passed over Young Dumbledore's face and he resembled his older counterpart so much for a fleeting second they were almost one person. But then his expression cleared and he cleared his throat.

"Now then, useful as your remarkable talent as been, I think it is time we return to dry land."

Lynette laughed and smoothed her robes before accompanying Young Dumbledore back up to the castle.

I waited, even though I knew we couldn't be heard, until they had both gone before turning back to Professor Dumbledore.

"Time to go?" I guessed.

"Yes." He replied.

White mist was creeping up over the scene, blurring the edges as we both drifted back into the future.


	48. A Little Bit Of Sunshine

**So another update, I can't believe how close this fic's getting towards the end. *Sniffles* Sorry, just getting a little teary eyes here. I can't believe this stories 63,734 words long! A massive thank you to everyone who's stuck with me all the way and made this worth writing with their reviews, favourites, follows or just by reading!** **But don't worry there's a good few chapters to come yet – He Who Must Not Be Named is COMING DUN DUN DUN!**

**Please review**

"She was my grandmother, on my father's side." I explained to Lily who was walking silently beside me, her expression thoughtful. "There's some strange gene in my dad's side of the family which makes us like it – A bit like seers I think." I concluded.

"Hmm," Said Lily, "I've never really thought about it but it makes sense. Everyone says that seers and metamorphmagus's are born, not made and you're sort of like them, except without the freaky hair."

"Gee, thanks." I nudged her with my elbow to let her know I was kidding and she gave me a light punch on the arm. I laughed.

"So, let me get this straight." Lily was serious again, tapping a finger against her cheek. "You-Know-Who's trying to break into Hogwarts _because…?_"

She looked at me.

"Because," I said, "There's something hidden in the school that he wants. Least that's what the Mer chief-ton thinks."

"But everyone knows that Dumbledore's the only one that-" Lily glanced over her shoulder to make sure no-one was listening to our conversation but the hallway was deserted, everyone being at dinner. "-Lord Voldemort-" She whispered, "-Was ever afraid of."

I let out an involuntary shudder at the name. Lily looked shocked at herself.

"Yes," I whispered back, beginning to lead her towards the staircases. "But You-Know-Who must be pretty desperate to get his hands on whatever this thing is."

"And Dumbledore didn't know what it was?" Lily asked.

"No, well, not as such. He had plenty of ideas of course but he didn't tell me."

"But," Lily shivered, "But isn't there some way to protect the school? I think that if Lord-" She wasn't brave enough to say the name again "– You-Know-Who is bringing an army to find this thing-"

"Dumbledore doesn't think that he's going to bring an army in. I don't know that much about the lake but wouldn't it be difficult? Besides, I don't think He-Who-Must-not-be-Named wants to take Hogwarts, just find something. But…"

"But he wouldn't be opposed to killing those who stand against him if they got in his way." Lily finished for me.

I nodded, then hopped off one of the staircases before it could begin to move again and led the way down a sunlit corridor towards the library. We took a table towards the back and I picked up my copy of Advanced Potion Making: volume II, opening it at the Chapter entitled: 'A Revision of Golpalott's Third Law'.

I groaned and Lily leant over the table to read the chapter title upside.

"Ahh, yes." She said brightly, "Golpalott's third law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components. Fun." She added, laughing at my horrified expression.

"How do you remember that?" I asked, agog. I really shouldn't have been surprised though. Lily had a brain like a bag with an undetectable extension charm on it. Things went in and never fell out. Unlike my poor brain that seemed to shrink in terror at the lists of facts and figures I was supposed to _just know._

"Well it's logical, isn't it?" She said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Unless you cure the separate poisons how can you hope to cure the overall effect?"

"You've lost me." I said, perfectly truthfully.

"Oh, Arty." She sighed in exasperation, "We did all this last year with Professor Slughorn and you got it fine then."

"That's because you were helping me." I said, completely truthfully.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a smile. "Come on," She said, holding out a hand for the textbook. "Give it here."

"You're an angel Lils." I said, gratefully, dumping the heavy book in her outstretched hands.

"And don't you forget it." She grinned.

0o0o0o0

I was never quite sure how I got through my N.E.W.T.s while half expecting You-Know-Who to come bursting into the Great Hall at any moment but when I was finally told to lay down my quill after my History of Magic exam I couldn't help throwing my sheets of note paper into the air with everyone else, cheering, as we filed out into the grounds and the sunshine, impending doom be damned.

We headed down to the lake as a small pack, me arm in arm with Lily and Sirius attached to my other hand, James on Lily's other side. It was hard to feel worried about anything, we had a week off lessons then a few more days and we'd all be going home. A pang echoed through my chest at the thought but I pushed it aside.

When we reached the beach tree we flopped out on the grass, half in the shade. James leaned over Lily and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in until they lay like spoons on the ground. Remus was going through his test papers, at least until Max stole it off him and hid it under her shirt. He groaned but flopped out besides us anyway. We lay that was for some time, neither of us needing to check or watch or worry about needing to be somewhere. The sun was going down, flooding the sky with pink and turning the sides of the castle crimson, when Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me away to a clump of nearby trees where we were hidden from view.

I grinned as he pulled me into his lap then let out a contented sigh as his wonderful, magical lips began to brush against my neck sending shivers down my spine.

"I love you baby, you know that don't you?" He told me between his kisses as he worked his way up the side of my neck to that hollow place just behind my ear.

I was almost breathing too hard to answer him but managed to say or rather gasp a 'yes'. I felt him smile against my skin, pulling away long enough to look at me deep in the eyes. "And I love you to." I said simply, then his lips were on mine, soft and gentle, yet kissing me so deeply I felt I was drowning in him, his skin – so warm against mine, his hair – silky, and his scent – intoxicating.

We were falling backwards and his hands were in my hair, legs tangled together as he rolled over and pulled me on top of him. I pulled him closer still, our bodies flush together, like they were meant to be together, like we were one soul in two bodies. Like we had the forever kind of love, the love that consumes you both and dances you on a thread of moonlight on towards the dawn.


	49. A short Interlude: part i

_My Darling Arty,_

_Well, he's here! Your little brother was born on July 1st and weighed exactly seven pounds and fourteen ounces. It was a relief actually to get there because he's twelve days late but when it was all over (I'll spare you the less savoury details) I can't take my eyes off him. Martin says I'm obsessed but I don't care. When you were born, darling, I kept you with me all the time. You were a beautiful baby Arty and not even your new brother can rival how gorgeous you were with your chocolate brown eyes._

_He looks very like Martin but don't worry! He's got your (and my) eyes. Big and brown already, even though they should be blue at his age. He cries a lot too, but that's to be expected – after all, he's just been pulled out of his warm, comfortable home and forced to let strange people carry him around and make crazy faces at him and honestly, who would like that?_

_We haven't decided on a name yet. Martin and I both have a few we like but I wanted you to have some input so scrawl a couple of names on the back of this parchment and send it off as quick as you can because the Vicar wants to christen him and he's getting impatient!_

_Now that's all my news, how are you? Congratulations on surviving your exams, I knew you'd do it Sweetie! And just think - You've got a couple of weeks then summer begins! It was lovely to see all of your friends at Easter and I think even Martin warmed to that young Sirius Black. Do you know how he described him to me? That boy with the deep voice who looks suspiciously older than eighteen! Don't worry, I told him off for you. You must tell them they're all welcome to visit over the summer holidays – the cottage is always open as long as they don't mind a little chaos. As fast as my cleaning spells work, darling little baby is sick or Martin spills something and I have to start all over again._

_Don't worry about me though, your aunty Tía has been helping around the house and Rhoda has been babysitting for me whenever I want to sleep. Martin is an angel too, he keeps bringing me cups of tea like I'm an invalid! _

_Anyway, I think that's all for now. Give my love to Lily will you?_

_All my Love darling_

_Mum XxX_


	50. a little bit of starlight

"SHHHH," I hissed with a hastily smothered giggle, "We'll be caught!"

"Oh, hush up and live a little Twinkle," Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me down next to him on the blanket.

"Yeah Arty, live a little." Lily's impression of Sirius was pitch perfection and brought forth another round of laughter, James booming laugh lower than Lily's light hearted guffaws.

I gave up and lay down on the blanket beside Sirius and Lily. The night sky was perfect, not a cloud in sight so that every star could be seen in striking detail and as I lay on my back I began to point them out to Sirius who wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. The grounds were illuminated by the silvery light of the moon. I linked my fingers with Sirius's and gave them a small squeeze.

"There you are," I whispered, because even though we were completely alone it seemed the right thing to do – whisper. Like the slightest noise could shatter the moment. "Sirius, the dog star." I pointed up at the tiny light, so far away. "And there's Orion. Your family certainly know how to name their kids."

He snorted. "Says you, little Miss Artemis."

I held up my hands in mock surrender. "Blame my parents. My mum and dad both have normal names it's just me I'm afraid." He nuzzled into my neck and I sighed blissfully.

Next to us, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lily and James whispering together too. I rose up on my elbow and looked at them. Even though they both lay on their backs they leaned towards each other, almost subconsciously. They had linked hands too, and I could see James stroking Lily's thumb with his own as he stared deep into her eyes.

I let my head flop back down and laid my head on Sirius's shoulder. He kissed my forehead then brought up his other arm to begin to play with my hair, wrapping the strands around a finger then letting them slide off.

The four of us lay there, in that small knot of trees by the lake, not needing words to convey the companionship we felt between us, how close we felt those days, the last days of term before the real world began.

I was half asleep when I heard it, a slight plop, like a pebble falling into a pool of water. I shot up, startled by the sudden noise in the darkness and peered through the gloom. Sirius beside me, who had been asleep, stirred and sat up yawning.

"What is it?"

I shushed him hastily and strained my ears, listening for any movement. There was a slight rustling, and a creak, like the creak my tiny messenger ship always made when it was battling it's way to whoever I sent it to. I smiled slightly then froze:

I could hear footsteps.

I climbed to my feet as silently as I could and stole forward, bare feet quiet on the grass. A dark shape floated on the Black Lake and in front of me, so close that if I reached out I could almost touch them, were hooded black figures.

I flinched backwards and almost collided with a tree but fortunately they didn't seem to hear me, too busy were they, waiting for the rest of the figures to disembark. I took a step back and bumped into someone, hard. A hand rose to cover my mouth to stifle to scream I'd been about to let rip. Twisting my head around I saw it was not the hooded Deatheater as I'd half been expecting but Sirius and beside him was Lily and James, all three had their wands drawn.

All of the figures had assembled in the clearing in front of us now. There were twelve in total, but I couldn't see their faces which were cast in shadow by the hoods they wore and in any case, they all wore masks. They formed a rough circle as though waiting for a strange, satanic, ritual to start. And then, I gasped, even though no-one could hear it through Sirius's hand which still covered my mouth, I saw him.

Even in the darkness I could see the slitted nostrils, the long fingers gripping a wand. He billowed rather than walked, the black robes sweeping around him as though he walked in a storm and when he looked past us, I shuddered, piercing red eyes.

"You know what to do." He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named voice was high and cold, echoing around the ancient trees. Even though the Deatheaters hadn't been talking a strange hush fell so that all that could be heard was his words and the occasional rustle of the leaves. There was a pause then a murmur of ascent and the Deatheaters vanished, one by one, as disillusionment charms were cast until only the tall lone figure of You-Know-Who was left visible.

Gently, I pushed my friends back until we were a short distance away.

"We need to warn Dumbledore." I whispered.

Lily frowned uneasily, "How? We'll never get there before the Deatheaters."

"Can you do that patronas thing?" James asked me.

"You know I can't cast a patronas." I whispered back, "Corporal or otherwise, I've never been able to produce more than smoke."

"I can," Lily said, "But I've never tried to send a message with one."

"Arty!" Said Sirius suddenly, far too loud.

"Shhh!" I hissed, freezing and straining my ears again for any sound but all was quiet.

"Sorry," He breathed after a moment when we hadn't been hit with a dozen curses. "But I just thought, your little boat. Why don't you use that."

I felt dumb for not thinking of it to start with and pulled my wand out of the waistband of my skirt. Conjuring the tiny ship, I whispered my message and blew, filling the sails with my breath. It took flight and soared into the sky, seconds later vanishing into the dark.

"Gees Arty, go for the dramatic why don't you?" Sirius teased.

I hushed him. "My ship doesn't have that good a memory. It can't cope with huge paragraphs!"

"Yeah, but was it necessary to say 'They are coming' in that melodramatic way."

"If you're not taking this seriously then there's something very wrong with you." I snapped back.

The smile slipped from his face, "Sometimes, when it's the difference between good and evil, you have to laugh, just to make it through to the dawn."

I caught his fingers in my hand and squeezed them, my silent apology clear in the motion. He smiled at me, a flash of brilliant white teeth and together we slipped forward, heading for the castle.


	51. A Short Interlude: part ii

_Dear Mum,_

_CONGRATULATIONS!_

_You must send me a photo straight away! He sounds so sweet.. Poor little squirt, I'm not surprised he cries so much, this is a big old world he's been thrust into and I wouldn't wish the crazy faces on anyone! I'm glad your feeling okay and once I get back from Hogwarts I'll be able to help out around the house for you and look after the baby before I start thinking about work._

_I had to think about names for a little bit which is why I didn't send back the letter straight away (I hope the vicars not too mad)but I've asked all my friends and we've all had a good think and Sirius thinks we ought to carry on with the Greek theme. You gave me crazy name and these things do tend to run in families! So what about Apollo? He was Artemis's twin brother wasn't he? And I know he's not my twin but that could be pretty cool. Apollo represented everything civilised, music and order and harmony which, these days, we seem to have so little of._

_Just a thought._

_I told Sirius what Martin said and he laughed straight for about five hours. I kid you not! He said he'd love to come back to mine for a bit (Lily and James are heading off round the world together but would love to come for a few days at the very start of the holidays but only if you're sure you're up to it – Lily was most insistent about that.) Sirius has had some problems with his family and with James away he doesn't feel he can impose on Mr and Mrs Potter all summer so I said he could stay with us until he gets his own place sorted out. I hope that's okay._

_Lily sends her love, as do all the girls and Remus, Sirius, Peter and James all say hello!_

_Lots and Lots and Lots of love to you, Martin and the baby._

_See you soon!_

_Arty xXxXx _


	52. Blood, Sweat and Tears

The entrance hall was deserted when we arrived, out of breath a few minutes later, and full of shadows. The oil lamps had burnt low and the moonlight was casting strange patterns on the walls. I, as probably the most physical unfit of the four of us, was breathing hard and my legs were aching and had to pause a few extra seconds more than the others before charging up the staircases two at a time.

When we finally reached Dumbledore's office on the third floor the gargoyle that usually hit the entrance was stood several feet away, one wing splintered down one side, the other lay a few yards down the corridor, shattered into fragments. He stirred weakly as we sprinted past, taking the stairs even faster than Sirius and I had the time we'd been stuck together.

I had only been to Dumbledore's office three times in all my years at Hogwarts. The last had been only a few days before when I had told him of the impending doom we all faced, and probably most memorable had been with Sirius before Christmas. But it was the first time that had impacted on me most. A tiny, skinny eleven year old being told of the special circumstances that meant I could swim in the lake.

Now, however, the office looked nothing like I'd ever seen it before. The tiny silver instruments that usually sat on spindle-legged tables where scattered across the floor, smashed into pieces. The beautifully bound books that sat on ornate bookshelves were everywhere and the shelves were overturned. I ducked a flash of green light and raced into the office.

Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore were stood back to back in the centre of the room, duelling. McGonagall was dressed in a long tartan dressing gown and her hair was tied in a long braid down her back. Dumbledore, I could see, in between the slashing motions and flashing lights of his wand, had tucked his long, silver beard into his woollen dressing gown chord and the night cap upon his head was a askew as his dodged and darted, blocking curses by only a fraction.

A bookshelf exploded behind me and I stumbled forwards using a long, velvet drape covering one of the windows to pull myself back to my feet. The group of masked and hooded figures had separated into two, six of them drawing away from the two Professors to engage us. I stumbled again as I ducked a flash of red light and Sirius yanked me upright only for me to sharply pull him sideways as what looked like a small silver model of the galaxy without the planets flew through the air, smashing into the wall where Sirius's head had been only seconds before. He flashed me his carefree, brilliant smile and shot a jinx over my head straight into the chest of a Deatheater who had been about to curse me.

It was pandemonium. Jinxes and curses flew everywhere, more often than not, hitting the priceless objects around the office rather than the darting people inside it. The portraits on the walls were screaming advice to anyone who would listen and a small fire was burning a large pile of books near to an ornate, and empty, cage where an oil lamp had been overturned. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the occasional glimpse of Lily's auburn hair and heard Sirius's mocking laughter as he twirled and slashed his wand, a Deatheater lying unconscious at his feet.

My stunning spell flew underneath my opponent's raised arm and hit them in the stomach. They flew across the room and crashed into a glass cabinet which shattered, showering them with shards. I gasped in a deep breathe of smoky air and bellowed 'Aguamenti!' over at the fire which was filling the room with inky black smoke. The jet of water extinguished the flames. Before I had time to do more than blink however another figure had blocked my path.

My non-verbal magic had never been very good. Though I was expected to be able to cast spells non-verbally since Sixth Year I often cheated, barely moving my lips as I whispered the words. Now though, I wished I had paid more attention in class when Professor McGonagall had explained the theory behind it to us as the silencing charm hit me with enough force to plough me backwards into a wall. My head made contact with the stone with a sickening crack and my vision went fuzzy, black dots filling my eyes. Squeezing my eyes tight closed to try and stop the nausea, I seized my wand from where it had landed beside me and thought with all my might 'PROTEGO!'

Nothing happened.

I tried again. Again, nothing happened. I screamed inside my head and opened my eyes. The figure in front of me had lost her hood. Wild black hair spilled in every direction and the snarling face was so cold and yet familiar too. It was Bellatrix Lestrange. She and Sirius had the same, arrogantly handsome facial structure but where Sirius's face was always full of laughter, hers showed nothing but malice. She raised her wand and I saw her form the curse with her lips and braced myself, knowing my speechless magic wouldn't be good enough. Still I tried, repeating the words over and over inside my head. A few pathetic little sparks flew out of the end of my wand.

She let out a peal of manic laughter: "Cruc-"

"PROTEGO!"

Sirius's shield charm blasted her off her feet. She smashed into another hooded figure stood directly behind her and together they landed in a crumpled heap at the foot of a rickety set of shelves. The wooded planks gave a groan and fell forwards showering them both in heavy, leather bound books, glass vials, silver, spindly instruments.

The room seemed suddenly quiet without the crashing sounds of breathing objects. Even the portraits had fallen silent. I staggered to my feet and fell into Sirius's waiting arms as my knees threatened to buckle. He pulled me close and buried his head in my shoulder. I was shocked to feel wetness on my neck.

"Shh, shh." I soothed, stroking his hair, not quite sure why he was crying. Obviously Bellatrix's silencing spell had warn off when she had been rendered unconscious.

"Look Arty," He managed after a moment, mumbling against my shoulder. "Look at them. Do you know who they are?"

I twisted my head slightly, staring at the limp figures lying around us. "Sirius?" I asked.

He pulled away from me and jerkily wiped a hand across his face. A trickle of blood was running down his temple from his hair line and as I reached up to wipe it away he caught my fingers, kissing them.

"They're my family." He said. "Every single one of them, is part of my family."

I looked into his silver eyes and saw the pain and the humiliation there and pulled him close again, my fingers splayed against his cheek. "No they're not." I whispered. He made as if to pull away again but I didn't let him. "We make our own families. Loyalties thicker than blood. We're your family Sirius. James and Remus and Peter and Lily. And me." I added, after a moment.

He laughed. "You are most definitely not my family," He said, that smile beginning to stretch across his lips again.

I frowned, "What?"

"Because if you were," He carried on as if I hadn't spoken, "I wouldn't be able to do this would I?" And he reached down and kissed me.

How long we stood there I don't know. But when we drew apart, the smoke had cleared and I caught sight of Professor Dumbledore gallantly helping McGonagall back to her feet and Lily and James beginning to repair the shattered remains of the office. Lily caught my eyes and smiled at me, raising her eyebrows. I blushed.

"Er, Professor? Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes James," Dumbledore looked serious, but his blue eyes were twinkling.

"What should we do with, with them?" He pointed to bodies lying on the ground. Lily sat down suddenly and James put his arm around her.

"They will go to Azkaban of course," Dumbledore replied sadly. "But in the meantime, we shall have to secure them for when they come round."

James nodded but Lily, who had been staring at something over Dumbledore's head, looked puzzled.

"Sir, what's that?"

She pointed upwards. I followed her pointing finger to a shiny glass box, mounted high up on the wall next to a portrait of an elderly warlock with a mass of curly grey hair and a large, horn, ear trumpet. I single crack ran down the outside of the casing, marring the highly polished glass.

"That is the sword of Godric Gryffindor, Lily." Dumbledore said, without turning round.

"Sir." She said, "No it isn't."

"What's that?"

"There's no sword Sir."

Dumbledore turned around. "But then-"

"-You're too late." Bellatrix's cold voice cut through the silence like a icicle shard. "You're too late."

She raised her hand, still covered in glass and with a nasty bruise forming on her forehead but with her malicious and deranged smile upon her face, and with the hand clutching the glittering, rubied hilt of the silver sword, and pressed a long forefinger to the brand on her arm.

**A.N. Though my characters won't find out about the Horcruxes for another twenty years when Dumbledore tells Harry about them in his private lessons with him, this ending shows how Albus knows that the sword isn't a horcrux as I'm sure you've worked out. Unfortunately I won't be able to say 'The sword isn't a horcrux' in the story because Al Dumbledore doesn't know about them yet. Alas, earwax.**

**Just wanted to make that clear:)**

**Please review!**


	53. A Short Interlude: part iii

_Darling Arty, you are a genius! _

_My little Greek children. Martin loves the name Sebastian so that's going to be his middle name and he's going to be called Olly for short. Olly and Arty, my beautiful, beautiful children! _

_I showed Martin your letter and he was so embarrassed, poor dear. I think he does really like your charming young man but you know how he is. He thinks of you as his daughter and he's very overprotective. Still, I'm glad Sirius was so amused._

_We'd love to have him over the summer! He'll be company for you and I don't expect either of you to help, you're young - you should be out enjoying yourself before the real world starts. One final summer. I can barely believe how much you've grown up. It seems like only yesterday I was rocking you in my arms and pulling you out of the sea. _

_You used to crawl off down the beach whenever I took my eye of you for a seconds, do you remember? You couldn't walk, but the moment you could - you were desperate to go in the water. I remember panicking so much when you were about six months and you vanished completely off the face of the earth. I spent hours looking for you and do you know where you were? Curled up on the back of a sea turtle in the shallows. The turtle was looking after you until you woke up._

_Anyway, no nostalgia until the end of summer. I promised myself, no nostalgia! We've got to live in the moment. And the moment looks pretty incredible doesn't it? I'm so happy I think I might burst (don't worry, I don't mean it literally!)_

_All my heart_

_Mum, Martin and OllyXxXxXxXxX_

_P.s. I'll send a photo as soon as I can _


	54. the merits of the 'Urgh-ing'

**I'm BACK! Did you miss me? I just want to apologise for the horrendous cliff-hanger-y wait. Writers Blocks a witch. But you know...life goes on and I'm here writing and I really hope you like.**

**Let me know!**

"Portus!" Bellatrix Lestrange's spell was still echoing around the ornate office as James's own stunning spell flew under her outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest. She flew backwards for the second time in as many minutes and crashed into the bookshelves behind her, showering books and spindly instruments over her head.

Lily snatched the gleaming blade from Bellatrix's hand before it was completely covered in sheaves of paper covered in strange black symbols and silver teapots who's spouts appeared to be full of purple smoke. She stepped backwards into James and the blade began to glow.

I snatched at her and, having got a handful of her jumper, I twisted my hand around Sirius's belt, intending to...I don't know? Pull her back from the freakily glowing sword? Perhaps, but it didn't really happen like that. Somehow, it never does.

There was a jerk, like someone was fishing for my naval, and swirling, airborne feeling and then darkness.

A lot of darkness.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There was a sound like a dying whale. It took me a moment to realise that it hadn't been a dying whale and instead had been me, though how I had made that noise was rather worrying. But then my head decided to go into orbit and I was promptly sick on the grass in front of me. Urgh.

I scooped my hair out of the way of the larger gobs of yucky yellow stuff and groaned. I was dimly aware of not being able to see anything and was just about to summon the energy to try and re-connect my brain when there was a muffled thump, a lot of muffled cursing (or was it just that my ears weren't working yet) and suddenly everything snapped back into focus. Though, as it turned out, I could exactly no more than I could thirty seconds ago. In fact, it was probably less because at least then I'd been seeing lots of pretty flashing lights.

"Pretty flashing lights." I said. And keeled over, narrowly (and very fortunately) missing the pile of sick.

"What's wrong with her? Is her mind affected?" I heard a panicked voice but then Lily (or was it James before his voice broke?) said: "Oh, don't worry about her - her mind's always been affected. Try to avoid the sick."

There was a squelch, a shout of 'Eeerghh!' and suddenly a light fizzled into existence.

"MY SHOES!"

"MY HAIR!"

"How on earth did you get it in your hair- Hang on don't tell me - I really don't want-I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW!"

"SOMEONE CLEAN UP THAT VOMIT RIGHT NOW, THIS INSTANT BEFORE I START KILLING!"

"Killing what? We are currently stood in the middle of a completely black, black thing with extra servings of dark on the side lit with Lily's wand which is showing exactly nothing and some more blackness. We are the only thing here and I refuse to die with vomit in my hair!"

"Urgh." I said. But very quietly so as not to annoy them further.

"MERLIN'S Y-FRONTS!" I heard a scream, though it was so high it was difficult to make out the words.

"Urgh!" I said again. But slightly more loudly because Lily's scream (because I'd never heard a guy get that high before - no not even when Lily's book box fell on James's You-Know-What) were reaching bat proportions. You know, high enough to bust glass.

"What? Has someone died? James! I told you not to murder me with sick in my hair! That was down-right cruel of you."

"No, no-one's died - this is far, far worse." There was a moan of anguish and some scrabbling sounds.

"Urgh." I said, for the benefit of anyone who happened to be listening. Which was just me but you know...

"No wait, I've found it. Thank you Merlin."

"No, Lily. That's my foot."

"Sorry." More scrabbling sounds then: "Actually, don't stop that - that's quite nice."

"JAMES. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE GRINDING OUT ALL YOUR SEXUAL FRUSTRATIONS. I HAVE VOMIT IN MY HAIR. AND ON MY SHOES!"

"Of course this is the time to be grinding out my sexu-"

"POTTER! FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I SWEAR WE ARE DONE!"

There was the sound of a fist hitting a face. There was a splash.

"DAMN YOU PRONGS WILL SOMEONE PLEASE GET RID OF THAT SICK!"

"Urgh."

"AND FOR MERLIN'S SAKE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT ARTY! THE URGHING IS MAKING MY SKIN CRAWL."

"Urghing? Seriously?"

"Urgh." I said, again, for good measure and sat up.

"URGH!" I said with more feeling and lay back down again.

"Urgh." Lily agreed and hauled me to my feet. "Enervate."

"Urgh," I said one last time, just to annoy them. "Thanks Lily. I hate Portkeys."

"I know." She said, completely unfeelingly. "Scourgify."

A sucking sound, a deep breath and _'my hair will never be the same again'_ most probably from Sirius and the vomit had vanished. I watched it go with regret. It had brightened the place up at least. Besides, there had been a large slab of Honeyduke's best chocolate in there.

"So, where are we?" I asked, staring around and bumping into someone I hadn't noticed in the complete and utter black. In my defence - the person (Sirius?) was wearing black robes which blended in quite well. I put my hands up and let them roam around for a bit. Yes, that was definitely Sirius.

"Lumos maxima. No idea." James said, holding his wand up to eye level. A slight blurry outline of a nose came into view. "But this place seems to be sucking the light out of my wand and the spit out of my mouth. Stop it. It's rather unpleasant."

"Lily," I queried, lighting my wand too. "Why did you grab the portkey?"

A hand fastened around my throat.

"Lily!" I squeaked. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it. Can't b-b-breathe!"

The hand didn't move and it dawned on me that it was probably a little too large and a little too stone like to be a smallish human girl.

That was when the lights came on.


	55. the Definition of Surprising

I have had enough of surprises this year. They are awkward, nearly always unpleasant and quite probably fatal. They also comprise of about 90% being manhandled which is never very enjoyable, I mean - who actually likes having two very large stone hands fastened around their neck so hard you can barely draw breath? Or having a very bright light suddenly appear in what was once (and far more preferably in light of the present circumstances (no pun intended)) total pitch darkness? Or seeing your three favourite people in the world (discounting people you are expected to like) also held by large, enchanted statues which seem to have very alarming ideas of what statues are meant to do.

For example. Nothing would be quite nice at the present moment.

"This is all your fault." I said, between trying to breathe. "You had to go and get that sword and now we're stuck here being held captive by bloody statues that have a mind of their own and are not playing fair!"

"Oh I'm so sorry," Lily snarled back, in between trying to stop the statue snapping her arms like brittle Bowtruckle limbs. "Should I have just let that evil cow zoom off with the Sword of Godric Gryffindor and, oh wait - I didn't ask you to come did I? No, you just had to grab onto me and tag along like this is some bloody picnic!"

"Lily!"

"Don't interrupt!" She snapped and kicked out at the statue with her feet. "Like some bloody picnic and now we've lost the sword and we're stuck in some freaking room and-" Her mood obviously wasn't improved by stubbed toes.

"LILY WILL YOU BE QUIET!"

Lily fell silent at last and we all kindly looked the other way as she brushed a few tears away and sniffed.

"I'm okay." She said, after some more sniffing and we all looked back around. James was being held around the waist by the widest of the four statues but he had manage to wriggle it so that he could just brush his fingertips against Lily's.

The room we were in was unlike any I had ever seen. It was large, humongous in fact, and was lit with piercingly bright white flames in brackets along the stone walls. The floor was stone too, black and grey flagstones, rather like a chess board but with far more squares. Several were cracked and others were darker in places, covered in a suspicious looking stain.

"That is a suspicious looking stain." I said, before I could stop myself.

Sirius agreed. "Yep, that's suspicious all right. Or it could just be water droplets making the floor darker. But, by all means, go with the suspicious stain. Adds to the growing sense of doom and futility and all that."

I resolved not to speak again after that.

How long we were held there, I don't know. Long enough for my feet to go numb and my neck to ache from the crushing grip. Long enough for Lily's tears to dry up. Long enough for Sirius to wiggle a hand down the front of his trousers.

"Ew! Sirius! This is not the time." I yelled out, quite forgetting my whole, not-speaking-because-last-time-I-made-Lily-cry-and-Sirius-mad thing.

"Shut it, Arty," He laughed, and pulled out his wand.

The literal one, idiot.

"Wand." I said, like an idiot. And as though my word had triggered a secret password, the statues dropped us. I gasped in several, oxygen laden breaths and sat up slowly, head spinning again. Fortunately this time, I wasn't sick again (I don't think my friends could have taken the strain.) and managed to haul myself to my feet. Which is more difficult than it looks when you are trying simultaneously to pull your wand out and get your shoes back on to uncontrollably shaking feet (lose laces - what can I say?). Once I had accomplished this remarkable feat though, and the others were all on their feet too, we stared around and the room which had no way in and, more worryingly, no way out.

The back of my neck prickled.

I turned slowly, on my heels, and grabbed Sirius's hand for support. He squeezed my fingers back and turned too.

I almost screamed.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was taller than I'd originally thought, out by the lake, and fifty times more terrifying this close too. His red eyes scanned over us, lips curling in a sardonic smile.

"My Deatheaters failed then?" His said. It was a question but I didn't dare to answer it. Neither, it seemed, did Sirius. Or Lily. Or James. We were frozen to the ground.

"Yes." His voice was high as he answered his own question. High and cold, like shivers of ice down my back. "I had anticipated as much. But who do we have here?"

He walked forward, movements smooth. Sirius stepped in front of me. The movement jerked me out of my stupor and I pulled Lily and James closer towards us, forming a tighter group.

"Sirius Black." Sirius looked paler than usual, but determined and his hand never slipped from mine even for a moment, as he brandished his own wand with his other hand.

"Why, dear Bellatrix's cousin?" You-Know-Who laughed. "What a delightful surprise." He didn't sound delighted. He swept on. "And this must be the dear Potter's son. You look exactly like your father. But these two I do not know. Deprimo."

A sudden wind buffeted James and Sirius aside, so hard they fell to their knees. Lily and I instinctively moved together.

"And who are you?" He asked. And, suddenly, just like that, I was pissed.

"Artemis di Angelo!" I suddenly yelled, clenching my fist around my wand so hard my knuckled went white. "And you murdered my dad!"

You-Know-Who let a high cold laugh that didn't suit him and with a flash of his white, long-fingered, hand, my wand flew out of my hand and clattered to the floor near to where Sirius lay, still winded. And just behind him, half hidden by the statues hulking shadow, and half lit by the white dancing torches, I saw a flash of silver.

"So you are that meddling reporters child, I should have guessed, you have the same fatal curiosity. It will get you killed one day."

"What? No." I said, suddenly confused. "My dad was a diver, worked for the ministry, my Mum, she always said-"

"Oh, he did for a while. But it was a story that brought him to Albania. A favour for a friend. A story only he, with his diving knowledge, could get. A story about where I was hiding. Anyone can use gillyweed. You're father was special, rather like you."

"Oh." I said, reeling inwardly at this hitherto unknown fact.

He glanced over at the sudden movement of James, staggering to his feet.

"Stupefy." James flew backwards and crumpled into a heap. Lily broke away from me to run to him but I caught her arm: "Lily, no DON'T!"

"Lily..." You-Know-Who smiled without mirth, "Not Lily Evans? The mudblood head girl?"

"Don't call her that." Sirius gasped, heaving himself to his feet, "Stupefy."

His hex was battered aside without so much as a blink of those red slitted eyes.

"STOP!" I bellowed as loudly as I could. My voice echoed around the room so that it sounded like a thousand Arty's yelled 'STOP!'. Amazingly, it worked and no-one moved.

"Look, " I said, now as calmly as I could. "We didn't mean to come here, we'll just go now and leave you here - we won't say anything, I swear..."

I knew that I didn't have a hope in hell of getting out of here really. The only reason we weren't already dead was that he was playing with us; a sick, masochistic cat playing with a poor, lame mouse. But the one thing I did know, from all my drawing and painting and fairytale reading, is that villains like to talk and if I could keep him talking then maybe reinforcements might show up. Maybe Dumbledore had found out where Bellatrix had sent the portkey. Maybe whoever owned this place would come and find us and call the Ministry Aurors. Or better yet - the Order of the Phoenix. But then again...Maybe Dumbledore had gone on holiday for a bit. Or maybe the person upstairs was too busy listening to the quidditch on the radio to hear us being murdered in his freaky basement. Or maybe...Stop it Idiot! I was panicking enough without adding 'what ifs.'

"You could try," He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named said as though the idea amused him greatly. "But Durmstrang is a very difficult school to get into. You couldn't apparate you know. Or rather," He corrected himself with a twisted smile. "I could. But you couldn't. You see, Durmstrang is almost as well protected as Hogwarts. Difficult to enter, harder to get out of. Alive at any rate. But I know someone who had managed to get in. Gellert Grindewald managed. He had used the twin lakes. I stole his knowledge of the curses he had used and wiped his memory clean afterwards. He is still in his prison, dying. Fool." He spoke the last word with such contempt I flinched.

"But why did you want the sword?" Lily whispered. "How could it help you?"

"I have a love of noble objects. I like to collect them." He laughed again and I felt goose bumps rise on my arms. "Still, even I couldn't enter Hogwarts with that fool Dumbledore there. I sent my Deatheaters instead and they failed. And then you came. Delivered the one thing I wanted more than any other. Just like your filthy blood traitor father you have helped me. He was a coward, rather died than join me. I enjoyed killing him. His death made me stronger."

My father had rather died than join him. Rather face torture and the pain of never knowing his unborn child than join Lord-Lord-Lord Vol- _oh get a grip Arty,_ Voldemort.

*Shudder, gag, ugh.*

My mother always said I was my father's daughter. Not just in looks, as I'd always assumed. Not even now I knew that my ability had come from his family. Now, I knew she had meant that I, like him, would rather die than join Voldemort and his followers. Rather die than do the evil I knew Voldemort was accountable for. Rather die, like my brave, brave father, than sell out my friends to save my own skin.

I may not be the world's best witch. I may not be the cleverest, or the prettiest, or the most skilful. But I knew the difference between right and wrong, and in the end that is what really matters.

Lord Voldemort has done a lot of things in his lifetime. And will probably go on to do a lot of things, evil things, repulsive things. And I'm sure a lot of people will fight him...And I guess one day, someone will win.

But I'm still pretty sure that I am the only someone in history to punch Lord Voldemort in the face.

"LILY! GET THE SWORD!" I screamed as I staggered away, clutching my split knuckles and diving for my wand. I had realised what that silver was now; a flash of ruby stones, the gleam of a hilt.

"STUPEFY!" Sirius's spell missed Voldemort by centimetres and smashed into the statue behind him. It shattered and began to fall, showering rocks onto the slippery floor.

"PROTEGO!" James was back up on his feet, his shield charm was so strong is sent Voldemort tumbling backwards as it expanded, protecting Lily from the falling debris.

"YOU DARE DEFY ME?" Voldemort screamed. "AVARDA KED-"

"RUN!" I screamed and snatched at Sirius's hand, half dragging him towards Lily. She was by the sword now, sending jinxes every which way but now the statues were moving, shaking the walls and sending shockwaves through the floor.

"WHERE'S JAMES?" But he was lost in the confusion or rock and spells and screaming. Lily was almost sobbing.

"CONFRINGO!" I heard the spell then a desperate cry of: "ACCIO JAMES!" from Sirius. And suddenly James was there clutching the back of Sirius's Shirt and Lily's hand and Lily had grabbed the sword and we were rising up onto the air, jerked by an invisible wire.

The scream of outrage was still echoing around as we began to vanish, I didn't hear the words of Voldemort's last curse as it hit us. All I can remember is falling...falling...falling...

And Sirius's fingers being wrenched from my own.


	56. Sirius's Story

**Hello! I'm back! I'm sooooo sorry for the long wait with the terrible cliff-hanger - I've had some of those ridiculous things that teachers seem to find important...You know, they're called exams or something. Anyway, I'm back and I've got three new chapters lined up for you - hope you enjoy!**

**Please review!:)**

**A.A.A.**

In one of the stars, I shall be living.  
>In one of them, I shall be laughing.<br>And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing when you look at the sky at night.  
><strong>Antoine de Saint-Exupery<strong>

...Sirius's Story...

Sirius had never gotten on well with his brother. Regulus had been too easily pushed about, too willing to be the golden boy, too much like their father - quiet and thoughtful, yet arrogant in the knowledge of his pureblood. Too...well, everything. Everything Sirius despised anyway. So Sirius had never gotten on well with his brother.

No, that wasn't quite true.

If he was honest to himself, and sitting here alone, he was being honest, Regulus had once been a person he had cared for very deeply. Before the pure blood mania began. Before they were both ensnared in the suffocating web of politics and deceit. Before...

But Sirius had conveniently forgotten those moments. The ones where he had looked after his little brother. When he soothed him when he woke from nightmares. To protect him from the arguments that shook Nine Grimmauld Place to it's very foundations.

Or maybe he hadn't.

If he had, he wouldn't be here now.

Sirius didn't understand the spell Voldemort had used on them in the dungeons of Durmstrang. Somehow, it had catapulted him thirty years into the future and wrenched Arty from his sweaty grip. And he had no idea how to get back. So, for now at least, he just sat there, in the long grass, thinking.

The little clearing was deserted other than for the singing of the birds and rustling of the branches in the light wind over head. It was grassy and full of dappled sunlight. The headstone in front of him, covered in weeds and dirt, was so weather beaten that he couldn't make out the words. Even so, he just sat there, cross-legged in the grass, and stared at it.

It wasn't an ornate headstone. It wasn't even neatly carved. It was rough; the marks in the stone looked as though they had been gouged with a wand rather than a goblin's chisel and if he had not known the name as well as his own he would not have been able to distinguish it. The sun was high in the sky and the clearing was warm. Sirius closed his eyes and reached out a hand, tracing his fingers over the letters, reading them with his fingertips.

_Regulus Arcturus Black._

_1961-1979_

_We live as we die, and die as we live._

_For the greater good._

He sat there, he didn't know how long for, but the sun never moved in the sky and the wind never stopped rustling and the birds never stopped singing. It was peaceful, just him, alone with his thoughts. He could stay there. Forever perhaps. And leave everything behind. Maybe Regulus had wanted to say goodbye. Maybe his brother had never truly been as distant as Sirius had pretended. Sometimes, blood is thick, and the bond they had had, maybe still could have, was worth fighting for. And peaceful as this place was, Sirius had never been one to sit behind while others fought his battles.

So he clambered to his feet and turned his back on the grave that had his brother's name carved into the stone.

_We live as we die, and die as we live._

As he reached the edge of the clearing he turned back one last time, indecision written across his face. But then, he smiled and looked up. Above him, the stars had appeared.

"Goodbye brother." He whispered and walked away.

His words twisted through the night sky like a silver mist and high in the midnight blue, so high it was almost heaven, a star flickered and vanished, then reappeared...Almost as though it had winked.


	57. James and Lily's Story

_A bird does not sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song._

**Chinese proverb**

...Lily and James's Story...

"Where are we?" Lily whispered. They had landed in a heap on a cold, stone floor a few minutes before and were now stood together in a deserted room.

"It looks like a classroom," James whispered back.

The room did, in fact, look exactly like one of the many deserted classroom they had often frequented in Hogwarts. There were desks pushed up against each wall and a grimy blackboard on one wall. There was even an upturned waste-paper basket in one corner. But propped against the wall facing them was something that looked as though it didn't belong there, something that looked as if someone had put it there just to keep it out of harm's way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate frame standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafry oyt on wohsi.

"I think," Lily murmured, "I think we're back in Hogwarts."

She walked forwards and pressed a hand to the surface of the mirror. It was surprisingly warm under her skin and she stepped closer, peering into the glass. She gasped and stumbled back into James's chest.

"What! What is it?" He asked in confusion, as Lily squinted around the dark room, searching for something. Then he looked into the mirrors depth and his mouth fell open in shock.

A boy stood in front of them, small and scared looking, maybe eleven at most, with a shock of messy black hair and spellataped glasses over bright green eyes.

"Homenum revelio." Lily whispered, then, when nothing happened: "James, there's no-one here."

James nodded and tugged her towards him so they were both framed in the mirror. He had known, instinctively, that they were the only ones there.

_His eyes - his eyes are just like mine, _Lily thought, _bright green - exactly the same shape._ And then tears were trickling down her face. She was smiling, and crying, though she hardly knew why. And James wrapped his arms more closely around her.

"Mum?" The boy in the mirror whispered. "Dad?"

They just looked at him, gazed at him with a hunger and a longing that they barely recognised. Then Lily, beaming at her son through her tears, reached out a hand and touched the glass. The boy stared back at them, both hands pressed against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. Lily gave a sob, half joy, half terrible sadness, a powerful ache inside her.

How long they stood there, they didn't know. The reflection did not fade and they looked and looked until, suddenly, the boy turned away, glancing back in fear.

"I'll come back," He whispered, and hurried from the mirror.

-o-

When their son returned, perhaps the next night, perhaps that very minute, it was hard to tell how quickly time passed in the dark room, he was not alone. The red-headed youth he had with him was tall and gangly and covered with freckles but he was stood well back so that Lily and James could only just make him out. Then he was there, his black hair messy, his glasses slightly askew and they beamed at the sight of him.

He was whispering with the other boy and suddenly stepped backwards, out of sight and the redhead looked into the mirror. Lily and James stepped back, not wanting to intrude. From a distance they watched him grow excited and suddenly, just as suddenly as the last time, they were hurrying away leaving the mirror empty.

-o-

The next time they saw him he was alone again. He almost ran to the mirror and Lily and James beamed at him. The boy, Lily realised she still didn't know her sons name, sat down on the floor and gazed at them. James caught Lily's hand and Lily felt that familiar sadness well up in her, though, as always, she didn't know why. All she cared about was seeing her son, seeing him, even through this strange mirror, it quenched her thirst, her desperate longing to hold him close to her, to kiss his forehead with that strange scar.

They had all night, she and James and her son,_ her son, _could spend all night together. Every night for eternity. Every night-

"So - back again, Harry?" Lily jumped and felt James glance behind him but, like always, the room was deserted.

Peering through the mirror James pointed, Lily realised they hadn't spoken a single word since first seeing their son, and in his world -_Harry's world - _she thought, none other than Albus Dumbledore was sat on one of the desks stacked in clumsy piles against the walls.

"I - I didn't see you, sir." Harry said, clearly startled by the headmasters sudden appearance.

"Strange how short-sighted being invisible can make you." Said Dumbledore and Lily was pleased on Harry's behalf that he was smiling.

"So," Said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk and walking more clearly into view, "you, like hundred's before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

Lily and James exchanged confused glances. Clearly, neither of them had ever of the Mirror of Erised.

"I didn't know it was called that, sir."

"But I expect you've realised by now what it does?"

"It - well - it shows me my family -"

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as Head Boy."

"And," Whispered Lily, her voice hoarse from lack of use. "It showed me my son."

"Our son." Said James and pulled her close, as the tears began to fall from her eyes.

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible." Dumbledore was saying. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all."

James started to speak, but Lily put a finger to his lips. "Shh," She whispered, her eyes fixed on Harry. "Let Harry work it out."

Harry shook his head.

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry said slowly, "It shows what we want...whatever we want..."

"Yes and no." Said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you-"

Lily gave a strangled gasp and James's arms shook as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of them all. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.

"The mirror is being moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Dumbledore and Harry were walking away now, their conversation too hushed for the two behind the glass to hear.

"Lily?" James asked. She was stood, palms resting on the glass, desperately searching for Harry. "Harry! Harry come back!" She was crying so hard that she could barely stand and yet she felt so happy she thought she might fly.

"There's a door Lily."

"A door?" She hiccupped.

"A choice." He answered. "And we have to make it."

"Stay here." Lily said, "Stay and hope we see him again."

"Or leave, and know we may never." James nodded.

"We have to go back." She whispered. "He can't grow up without us, he's our son."

James caught her fingers and raised them to his lips, kissing them. "The let us see what adventure the door holds." Fingers still linked they began to walk, hesitantly, wonderingly, the ache in their chest's almost making them turn back.

When they reached th door, Lily turned back one more time. Harry was out of sight, invisible to their eyes but the shadowy figure of Dumbledore was still just visible in the mirror. As the handle turned and they stepped through, Lily was sure, though of course she couldn't e positive, that Dumbledore smiled sadly at them before vanishing from sight.


	58. Arty's Story

_Dreams are answers to questions  
>we haven't yet figured out how to ask.<br>_**_-X-Files_**

...Arty's Story...

I opened my eyes and hastily cupped a hand over my mouth, holding back the wretch my stomach wanted to give. Twice in as many hours I had been unconscious and woken, not in my comfy, warm bed but on the hard, unforgiving ground. And I was getting annoyed about it.

Though technically, I wasn't on the ground. I was sort of...floating. Yes, floating, that was the right word for it. I was lying down and yet wasn't as well. How peculiar. I glanced around and mentally gave myself a smack. Of course, I was in water! Stupid person. I smiled and flipped onto my stomach, propelling myself forward through the crystal water. It was pleasantly warm and incredibly clear and completely deserted.

I turned around and began to swim in a random direction, panicking slightly as I glanced around me to see where on earth I was. Or under sea I was, if you want to be technically correct. I was so busy panicking that I didn't see the end of the water, though that really wasn't my fault. I mean, who seriously expects me, Me! who is hardly the most observant person in the world, to see straight through completely clear water and realise that the completely clear glass bowl I was in signalled the end of the see through water and the start of see through glass? It wasn't like there was anything after the glass either - just whiteness. The same colour as the kitchen was painted at the cottage back home. Just white, but somewhat grubby.

So it totally wasn't my fault. Not that my skull, which was still throbbing from the impact on the glass, seemed to agree. But the pain reverberating around my head was nothing to the shock of seeing a suspicious figure suddenly looming up through the grubby whiteness of 'outside'. It came closer and now I could see that 'It' was in fact a 'He', an older human 'He', with overlong brown hair and brown eyes, just like mine. He was skinny too, and overly tall and could tell that he probably spent a lot of time knocking things over and walking into walls.

Just like me.

"Dad?" I whispered, but all that came out was bubbles.

He smiled at me and rested his hand against the glass. I reached up and placed my hand on his, through the sheet of glass. It was cold and smooth under my fingertips and I pretended it was his skin I could feel. He smiled at me and said something but I couldn't hear what.

How long we stayed that way, Hands pressed against the glass, I don't know, but it seemed a really long time. And yet, it was too short too. I'd never met my father but my mother always said that I was his daughter in every way and I could see that it was true. His eyes were identical to mine, the same size, the same shape, the same colour. He had the same slightly uncontrollable hair, those his was streaked with grey and it flopped over his forehead just like mine did. He even had my knobbly knees and sticky-out elbows.

Tears were rolling down my face, even as the water around me merged with them, mixing pure water with salt. Tears were streaming down his cheeks too, tears of joy or tears of sadness, I didn't know. He was speaking again, but the glass stopped all sound. He tried again and I strained to hear. His lips formed the words but I heard nothing. Now, I was crying harder, tears of frustration and I banged my fists against the glass. He smiled sadly at me and shook his head.

_'I love you Artemis,'_ I saw him mouth and then he was turning away, sliding his hand from the glass.

"DAD!" I screamed, though no sound left my mouth. "Don't go..." I whispered. He paused and turned back to me one last time, as though he had heard.

In his face there was something I didn't understand, there was great sadness there, but another, almost stronger emotion too. Almost happiness and yet not happiness, a world-weary pain and such a wild joy.

"I'll always be here." His words drifted over me like the current, soft and unearthly. He touched his chest, just over his heart and he smiled one last time.

Then he was gone, vanishing into the whiteness leaving me alone.

And, for the first time, the water didn't sooth me. It didn't clear my mind, help me forget... I curled up, resting on the bottom of the bowl and wrapping my arms around me. I cried until I could cry no more and then I lay there feeling my stomach clench, my heart squeeze. I could stay here. I could stay and live with the strange joy and the terrible sadness wracking my body, stay and hope...hope that someday I'd see him again. But I would see my father again, someday, when my time came.

So, for now, I pushed off from the bottom of the bowl and began to swim towards the surface, a strange peace helping me rise.


	59. The Fishbowl Between the Worlds

**First things first, I AM SO SO SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING MORE QUICKLY!**

**secondly, I hope this answers everything**

**and thirdly, I cheese**

**;)**

**so here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it, I can't believe this story is drawing to a end, sniff sniff:(**

**virtual cookies to everyone who RnR's**

**and I also wanted to thank EVERYONE who has stuck with me all the way through this epic, everyone who has reviewed and favourite-d and alerted or simply just read my story. THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS.**

**last but not least, another massive thanks to Imogen for beta-ing this fic for me. Without you, Mo, the spelling would be appalling.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Fishbowl Between The Worlds<strong>

"The fishbowl between the worlds, I like that."

"I thought you would," I grinned.

The four of us were sat in four chairs (one each though Sirius had offered to share) in the Headmaster's office. The long fingers of dawn were stretching in through the window and bathing us in a gentle light. Dumbledore was not sat at his desk, nor was he quite at the window, instead somewhere in-between, stood by the ornate bird stand where a beautiful phoenix stood, gazing at me with its large golden eyes.

After I'd watched my father walk away from me I'd begun to swim. I'd swum for a very long time, considering how shallow and light the fish bowl had seemed. It had been further in the end than I'd ever imagined, further than swimming from the deeps of the Black Lake though, strangely, I didn't seem to tire. I swam and swam, for hours it seemed until my entire world was an endless sea of clarity and yet utter, well, nothingness, and it seemed I was the only breathing, living thing in all the universe.

I'd wanted to turn back, wanted to let myself sink back to the bottom of the bowl. Wanted to believe that I could see my father again, just once more. And I almost did turn back. But every time I would still, I would think about the people I would leave behind. My mother, my friends, Sirius. Apollo who I had yet to meet, who would never know me if I never returned, who I would never see grow up. So it was little Ollie who I fixed my thoughts on as I rose.

And then, when I'd almost given up even hoping I'd ever see the light of day again, my head broke the surface and then I was just here. Back in Dumbledore's office. I honestly can't describe it any better than that - one moment I was blinking water out of my eyes and the next I was sat in a comfortable chair, fully dry, in front of a quizzical headmaster.

"So nice of you to drop in." Lily had said, drolly from her own seat. "We've been back ages."

"Oh yeah?" I had challenged, "How long have you been back?"

"About a minute and a half." She replied, completely unconcerned.  
>I rolled my eyes.<p>

Dumbledore had been stood behind his desk, his eyes on the blood red bird stood on its perch by the window but when I dropped in, figuratively (and literally) speaking, he had tuned to face me and smiled.

"Now you're all back," Professor Dumbledore said, "I think it's time to explain everything."

So James told our story, with Lily chiming in with the parts that James didn't get completely accurate, and Sirius chiming in with the parts that James didn't make heroic enough, and me chiming in with the parts where James left gaps open perfect for a joke. And when he was done Dumbledore sat down at his desk and surveyed us over his steepled fingers.

"Sir? Sir, what was Voldemort looking for?" Lily asked.

He didn't reply for a moment, instead gazing at the far wall where a tall bookshelf stood, and a ruby handled sword - the one Bellatrix had armed herself with - that was encased there.

"Did you know Lord Voldemort asked me for a job?" He said, finally.

Lily shook her head, confused.

"Yes, he wanted the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Well, you can see how the position would have appealed to him, young, impressionable students. But I always felt that that was not his first objective. And last night's events have strengthened that opinion in my mind. He wanted the Sword of Godric Gryffindor."

"But why would he want a sword Professor?" I asked, "I mean, hasn't he got better things to do than break into his old school?"

"One would have thought so. But from here on, we must delve deep in the pool of speculation and guesswork and I may be completely wrong but..."

"But you don't think you are though, do you sir?" I smiled.

"Naturally, no, but someone of, excuse my rather greater mental capacity is just a liable to make mistakes as the next person. Rather more so, actually, as my incorrect guesses tend to be on rather a larger scale."

"So what's your guess Sir?"

"I think that world domination is only a part of Lord Voldemort's plan, enslaving the muggles , rounding up the centaurs, murdering the Muggleborn children, that is all very well and good but what is the point if one cannot be around to enjoy these privileges? I believe, and as I say, I may be completely wrong, that Lord Voldemort is engaged in a piece of dark magic that will help him to achieve immortality."

"And you think this sword would have helped him. How? Why? It's just a sword, goblin made and very nice, but still just a sword." James queried, frowning slightly.

"That," Said Dumbledore, "Is the question."

He smiled but did not continue, instead standing and crossing back to the window and staring out in the sunlight. I glanced at Sirius who shrugged back then, timidly as I didn't want to interrupt his thought, I asked:

"Professor? What was the spell You Know- I mean, Voldemort, hit us with? The one that made me see my father?"

Dumbledore did not answer for a few moments, continuing to gaze out of the window, and then he broke into speech again.

"It is a very rare peace of magic known as a peace charm, though that is rather misleading. I assume you realised you were in an illusion, a hallucination, a fantasy created by your own mind and soul to show the thing you crave, something that will show great joy and terrible agony. The peace charm would drive you mad, your mind trying to dispel the delusion and yet, if you hadn't the strength to walk away, you would have torn yourself in two, both trying to live the lie and to follow the truth. The peace charm would be individually powerful and it attacks the most important parts of you, as a person. The head and the heart. They are irreversibly linked, one cannot do anything without consulting the other. To tear them apart would kill you eventually. This is what I believe Voldemort to be trying to achieve.

"For a man who has never known love Lord Voldemort cannot ever hope to understand how the mind and the soul work together, he sees only the weakness of the connection and the pain and indignity of acting against what he knows is logical. Love is not logical, but it is what makes us human.

"And on that note, I think it is time for breakfast."

I stood, realising that this was our dismissal and though my head was still swimming, everything felt clearer. Well, as clear as mud anyway, but after all, that was an improvement compared to the solid blackness with an extra helping of dark on the side that I had been previously battling to get my head around.

I was the last one to leave the office, having hung behind to fiddle with my shoelace, Lily had caught my eye but she knew me well enough to realise that I wanted to be alone and had linked her arms through Sirius's and James's arm to pull them away. When the office door swung shut behind them, I straightened up.

"Miss Di Angelo, what can I do for you?" The headmaster smiled at me and I knew I could ask my question.

"What happened to Lynette, Sir? I never heard what happened to her after everything with Grindelwald and I just wondered...I mean, I know she's my grandmother but..."

He smiled sadly, the twinkle dying in his eyes. "She married your grandfather right out of Hogwarts and had Ian, your father, but her husband died very soon after his birth. It was not a happy marriage by all accounts, we were regular correspondence throughout most of her adult life, and I know she married him to have someone to protect and look after her. She had no family herself and had been alone in the world for so long I think she turned to him in a desperation to find her place in the world. When he died she took her infant son and moved to the south of England, to Cornwall to be precise where she met, fell in love with and eventually married a muggle by the name of Benjamin Peterson."

My mouth fell open.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered my unspoken question. "He was your childhood friend Ben's grandfather. I don't know why Ian hid the fact his mother was still alive from your mother but I believe he was trying to protect them both. By this point Lynette's mind was beginning to fail. I know after the battle with Grindelwald she never swam again and I believe that this affected her mentally. But she was also in danger, Grindelwald had had a great many supporters and if it had ever been revealed who was the cause of his downfall - and I do not take credit for winning that duel, without Lynette's warning I could never have hoped to have succeeded - not only Lynette but her entire family would have been at risk."

"So all those years," I murmured, "All those years I saw her when I was with Ben, and I never knew. She never told them. And Ben was my cousin?"

Again, Dumbledore nodded, "Lynette and Benjamin had two children, Ian's half siblings, but I do not think she ever revealed her magical heritage to her second husband. In any case neither of her children had any magic."

"But why should she not tell him, if she loved him-?"

"Again I can only guess, but I think that after the war of '45 Lynette wanted no more to do with magic. Her best friend had been killed in the battle and I know she felt, in some small way, responsible for not finding out about Grindelwald's plan sooner. I suppose she felt that she could have saved more of the casualties. I think, for the same reason, she stopped using her water magic. She had been abandoned by the world, her parents had been killed in a magical explosion and I know she lost her only sibling to a werewolf attack when she was very little. Magic, to her, had become something that only caused pain and suffering and she wanted nothing more to do with it."

I frowned slightly, then asked. "But if you knew all this, why did no-one ever tell me? That I had an entire family somewhere and that I...that I, I mean that my magic might one day..."

"Kill you?" Dumbledore finished? "Because it was not my secret to tell-" He began to walk me towards the portrait door. He held it open for me and I stepped through onto the staircase. "-Arty, we all have choices in life. Good choices. Bad choices. Lynette made the best of what the world had thrown her and I believe she was happy, especially in her later life. She could watch you and Ben playing together each summer and, when Voldemort murdered that un-named family of Muggles four years ago, she died with the people she had chosen to be with, the people she loved. What she did may not have been good, but it was right. She didn't chose to sink, she swam. Differently from how you chose to do things perhaps, but she swam.

"Now, breakfast." He smiled at me. I chewed thoughtfully on my bottom lip and was about to go when he spoke one last time. "It does not do to dwell on the past Arty. The past is dead and we cannot change it. Look to the future, something we can change. It is our choices that make us who we are. And, I believe your family would have been proud of you. Yes," He added, on seeing my face, "All of them."

He stepped back and the office door swung shut. I sat down on the top step as it began its descent. When it finally ground to a halt I stayed there for a few moment, listening to the sound of my own breathing, then, as suddenly as if a pocket watch had shrilled an alarm, I sprang to my feet and began to run after the retreating backs of my friends.

* * *

><p><strong>So there we go, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!<strong>

**reviews make my day! plsplspls rnr!**


	60. A new Beginning

**Sun, The Moon and Stars...Chapter 60**

**I never realised how hard it would be to say goodbye...**

I've only ever been sent one howler in my life and that was way back in third year, when Professor Dumbledore had written to my mum after I'd gotten into a fistfight with Sirius when he'd cornered me behind the broom sheds. I still remember the humiliation that had been my mother's voice, echoing around the Great Hall, magically magnified to a hundred times her usual volume, screaming about how she hadn't brought me up to behave Like That. My skin still burns when I remember the hundred or so pairs of eyes staring at me as I tripped out of the hall. The matron had been able to get rid of the bruise. The laughing had lasted for longer.

Now though, as I stared down at the tightly rolled piece of parchment (sealed with the Hogwarts Crest and still smelling of fresh ink) clutched in a slightly sweaty hand I could just feel another Red Envelope of Horror and Humiliation winging it's way to me even as I sat there. N.E.W.T.s were a Big Deal. A Huge Deal. And while I figured my mother would still love me even if I failed everything (something that was looking increasingly likely now) I didn't think she would have any qualms about telling me of for not working hard enough.

The ironic thing was that, at O.W.L. level, I didn't give a hippogriffs poop about my results and probably would have thought a howler about my grades was a pretty good laugh. Now, however, after I'd slaved away for the best part of five months, I thought I was far more likely to fail everything than I had been after O.W.L.s when I hadn't even read through my notes.

I glanced over at Jazz and Lily who had swopped parchments, then at Sirius who was sat next to James at the Gryffindor table. James was talking to him but he was staring at me, sat opposite him next to Remus. He winked at me and I grinned back then picked up my knife and slit the wax seal. The parchment unrolled and I read the letter inside.

_** NASTILY EXHAUSTING WIZARDING TESTS RESULTS**_

_**Pass Grades: Fail Grades: **_

___ Outstanding (O) Poor(P)_

_ Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)_

_ Acceptable (A) Troll (T)_

_**ARTEMIS ISABELLA DI ANGELO HAS ACHIEVED:**_

_Astronomy Outstanding_

_Charms Outstanding_

_Defence Against the Dark Arts Exceeds Expectations_

_Herbology Acceptable_

_History of Magic Exceeds Expectations_

_Muggle Art Outstanding_

_Muggle Studies Acceptable_

_Potions Exceeds Expectations_

_Transfiguration Exceeds Expectations_

I let out a squeak and dropped the parchment. It landed on Remus's plate rather than mine which was lucky as Remus hadn't eaten anything yet so his plate was clean whereas mine was covered in sticky pumpkin juice from where I'd spilt it when the letter had been delivered. He smiled at me and gestured to the parchment. I let out another squeak and he picked it up and ran his eyes over the words there.

"Three outstandings!" I gasped. "There's been a mistake, there has to have been. Hey Lily, I think I've been sent your letter by mistake. Lily, who had her own results back by now, reached over and plucked mine out from Remus's hand.

"Here," She laughed, "Swap."

Suddenly exhilarated, I flung my arms around Remus who was closest and gave him a sticky hug (the plate hadn't been the only thing I'd hit with the goblet) then scanned down Lily's results. Twelve Outstandings.

"Smarty pants." I beamed. Sirius was watching me again and I nodded, slipping out of my seat to join him.

"See you guys later," I waved to them and fell over my feet, trying to avoid a small first year who had scuttled out of nowhere to trip me up. From the Slytherin table I could see John Cavendish heading this way, most probably to congratulate Jazz. My insides were still doing the conga as I righted myself and skipped out of the hall to find Sirius.

_~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~_

"I can't believe we have to go home tomorrow." I stared miserably out over the lake. The sun was hitting it at just the right angle so it looked as though the waves were on fire.

"Aww, come on, no nostalgia!" Sirius moaned and buried his face in my neck. I absentmindedly ran my hand through his hair. "It's not like we can never see Hogwarts again, plus-" He gave me a wicked grin and kissed my nose. "-You have the amazing company of the greatest guy in Hogwarts for the summer."

"Where? I don't see Remus." I teased him then rolled onto my back pulling him down with me. As our lips met, I tried to push away all the sadness that was inside me and focus only on the here and now. And with Sirius's lips and hands doing wicked things to my body - that was actually pretty easy.

_~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~.~sun~.~moon~.~stars~_

Graduation from Hogwarts was like nothing I could have imagined. There was the feast of course, that night, which was possibly the most enjoyable evening of my night. The Marauders had set a spectacular firework display and the food, of course, was excellent but there was something more than that. It was the strange half sad, half great happy mood that swept through the seventh years. But there was laughter and talking and everyone was enjoying themselves to the utmost as well so I hid my own feelings and attacked the food with great gratification.

There were a few tears next morning as we left our dormitory for the last time. Jazz, astoundingly, was the worst - and when John came over to meet her outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room - she dissolved completely and he had to lead her away to a quiet alcove for her to calm down.

We all worked down to breakfast together, in a large group and then sat together at the Gryffindor table. People from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables kept crossing the Great Hall to see their friends from other houses and we were joined briefly by a number of our friends including Harold Macmillan who was a particular friend of Frank and Alice. When the food eventually faded from the golden plates, leaving them sparkling the rest of the school left the Great Hall to catch the horse-less carriages back to Hogsmede station but we remained in our seats, looking up at the staff table.

Professor Dumbledore's speech almost reduced me to tears. It was hopeful and funny and suddenly made me realise that I wasn't really leaving Hogwarts at all. Oh to be sure, my body was. But there'd always be a part of me _here_, at Hogwarts. And Hogwarts would always welcome me back.

The boats carried us across the Black Lake, like they had done on that very first journey. I trailed my fingers in the water and deep below the surface I saw the flickering outlines of the merpeople. I waved to them and they almost smiled back before vanishing from view. Even the Giant Squid surfaced and waved his tentacles. A final salute.

Then we were on the train, and it was pulling out of the station. We played exploding snap and talked and read the Prophet until the food trolley came when we all bought a large lunch and snacked happily til the landscape outside the window became more cultivated and less wild and then, so soon, too soon, we were pulling into Kings Cross. As Sirius helped my pull my trunk down out of the luggage rack Alice caught my hand and pulled me to the compartment door where Frank was waiting for her.

"Arty," She said breathlessly, "I have to tell someone or I'll explode. Frank and me - we're getting married!"

I felt my jaw hit the floor and hastily shut it again. "Oh Alice! That's wonderful, congratulations, you'll be so happy," I babbled, seizing her by her arms and hugging her tightly. "Can I come to the wedding?"

"Oh course," she laughed, disentangling herself from my gangly embrace, "You'll all have to be there, everyone! _Oh!_ I'm so happy!"

In the confusion and general mayhem of exciting the train and collecting trunks, in the cacophony of cheerful voices and hooting owls, in the swirling smoke from the scarlet Hogwarts Express, it was hard to worry about anything. Even Lord Voldemort.

We stood together for one last moment. I was holding hands with Remus and Sirius and Lily and James were there; and Alice and Frank, and Max and Jazz and John. Lizzie was there too and so was Peter and I was so happy I thought my heart would break.

And here, I end my story.

It's been an incredible ride. Mission accomplished. And with that, I have to bid thee farewell. I'm the happiest person in the world right well. It's better than I ever thought it would be.

And the best bit?

This isn't even the ending.

No, it's only just the beginning.

**AN:**

**Well, it's done and I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I still can't quite believe it's all over. It's astounding. I'm going to miss Arty quite a lot actually - she was like the best imaginary friend ever.**

**Anyway, I wanted to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone! To**

**Forever Siriusly Sirius****ellinise****storyteller0117**** Marzipan ****Marmite-1****AllTimeLol****Angel With No Halo****RandomAsRainbows****JellybeanHPfan****ourgoldeneyes****nacho5****faeriemaiden96****fredforevermyluv****jezzabylle****Spot'sGalFrom1899****Firefly1939****Shaybo27****talyag****xXallegedangelXx****MotherOfMerlinsUnderwear****AlyssaMichelle07****Rani Jashalithie****Lillybylilly****NormalityIsNonexistent****ember505****Hellfire Putten Ninja****Insanity's Breaking Point****StarkidKerrie**

**and everybody else that I can't mention now but I've loved your support and endless reviews telling me to hurry up and update!**

**Thank you also to everyone who have ever followed, favourited, and alerted this story - it's means an awful lot to me and I never would have made it through 60 chapters to the very end without all your encouragement. And also, thanks so everyone who have just simply read this story.**

**"No story lives unless someone wants to listen." J. **

**Also, a big shout out to my friend Imogen who not only takes the time out of her busy life to beta all my writings (and is the reason that I actually have spaces between words and not in the middle of them!) but actually seems to enjoy it! Thank you for all the hours you've put in trying to decode my horrendous spelling.**

_...sun, the moon and stars..._

**As for Arty and my characters? I've decided to let you decide what happens next. I know a lot of you have asked for a sequel but I'm afraid there won't be one simply because I couldn't bear to lose any of my characters and we all know how James and Lily's story ends. **

**What happens next is up to you:**

**Arty and Sirius, well, who knows where they're heading? Maybe they are crazy enough to go all the way and get married. Maybe there are lots of little Mini-Sirius's and Mini-Arty's running around somewhere. That would be a laugh.**

**Well, I guess that's everything...**

**An Artist's Account**

**xxx**


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